New research into employee experience has found that workload continues to be a major concern, with just 64% of employees saying they can comfortably manage their responsibilities.
The findings highlight growing imbalances between workload, wellbeing and work-life balance, and the impact this is having on engagement, performance and staff retention. This is happening despite rapid AI adoption across workplaces, raising questions about whether technology is easing pressure or simply enabling more work to be done.
The insight comes from People Insight’s newly published Employee Experience Trends 2026 report, an annual study exploring the current state of employee experience and the trends shaping the year ahead.
The report draws on global benchmark data from millions of employee survey responses, supported by wider workplace research and expert consultancy analysis. This provides a detailed and practical view of how employees experience work today and what organisations need to focus on next.
The 2026 report identifies four major trends expected to shape employee experience in the year ahead:
- Trust, transparency and fair decision-making
- Workplace connection and loneliness
- Workload, role design and skills development
- The growing influence of AI on capacity and daily working life
Alongside the workload findings, the report highlights a series of additional warning signs.
Key insights include:
- Only 64% of employees feel able to cope comfortably with their workload
- Engagement sits at 79%, unchanged year on year, masking rising pressure
- Open communication has dropped from 60% to 53% in one year
- Only 63% feel senior leaders offer a clear sense of direction
- Just 61% feel leaders genuinely listen
- 63% believe they have opportunities to learn and grow
Tom Debenham, Founder of People Insight, said: “When people consistently feel overloaded, it affects everything, from wellbeing and engagement through to trust in leadership and long-term commitment. What this data shows is that organisations cannot afford to treat workload as a side issue. It sits right at the heart of the employee experience.”
The Employee Experience Trends 2026 report offers practical guidance to help organisations respond to these challenges and take confident action.
The report is recommended reading for HR professionals, leaders and anyone responsible for employee experience or organisational culture.
Download the report at peopleinsight.co.uk/trends-report-2026.
