Workplace burnout is at an all-time high in the U.S., according to the 15th annual Aflac WorkForces Report’s survey results from 1,002 employers and 2,000 employees across the United States.

Conducted by Kantar on behalf of Aflac, the online employer survey took place between April 2 and April 29, 2025, and the online employee survey took place between April 2 and May 6, 2025.

Escalating to a six-year high, nearly 72 percent of U.S. employees face moderate to very high stress at work.

Gen Z has surpassed millennials as the most burned-out generation, with 74 percent experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout, compared to 66 percent of millennials in 2025.

The report reveals fewer employees are confident that their employers care about their mental health (48 percent, compared to 54 percent in 2024).

Heavy workloads, reported by 35 percent of respondents, remain the top driver of stress.

The highest prevalence of stress was seen among African Americans and younger generations.

“New Aflac WorkForces Report data around the prevalence of stress and burnout should raise a red flag and is certainly a matter that requires attention,” said Aflac Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Owenby. “Breaking the cycle of stress and burnout may begin with employers carefully analyzing employees’ responsibilities both on and off the clock and threading the needle between productivity and home life balance. Developing a broader understanding of what is driving stress can support the creation of programs that alleviate burnout, which, in turn, can deliver a higher level of productivity.”

Outside of work, employees across all generations face stress and concern about finances, personal responsibilities, and uncertainty about the future.

More than 44 percent of employees (54 percent African Americans, 51 percent Gen Z, and 46 percent U.S. Hispanics) indicated they could not pay $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs for an unexpected illness or injury, the survey found.

American workers are experiencing medical cost anxiety, dubbed ‘medanxiety’, due to rising prescription drug prices and health care costs.

More than half (52 percent) of employees surveyed report feeling anxious about healthcare costs not covered by their insurance.

Medanxiety is highest for Gen Z (61 percent, up from 54 percent in 2024) and is on the rise for baby boomers.

Nearly half (45 percent) of employees have delayed treatment or medical care because they could not afford it, and 40 percent indicated the health insurance coverage for the treatment was unclear.

According to the report, American employees’ confidence in their healthcare coverage if faced with a major health event has declined over the past year (58 percent, compared to 64 percent in 2024).

Most employees underestimate the financial burden of a serious diagnosis, with nearly three-quarters (72 percent) believing the out-of-pocket cost for a year of cancer treatment would be under $2,000.

Employers’ understanding of employee benefits is declining.

Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of employers believe their employees understand their total healthcare costs, yet only 54 percent of employees say they do, according to the report.

Only 2 in 5 (42 percent) of employees are confident that they understand everything about their health insurance policies, down from 49 percent in 2024.

More than two-thirds (69 percent) of employees say they wish their organizations would provide more information about their benefits packages than they currently receive.

Employers could help employees by communicating more about benefits, the report suggested, as 54 percent say they only discuss it leading up to open enrollment.

Supplemental benefits remain an important aspect of a comprehensive benefits package, since they can help fill the financial void left by high deductibles, co-pays, and other unexpected medical expenses.

The study shows nearly all, 90 percent, believe the need for supplemental insurance is increasing — most notably among U.S. Hispanics (94 percent), African Americans (93 percent), and Gen Z (94 percent).

African Americans (60 percent) and Hispanics (50 percent) are more likely to purchase voluntary benefits to help offset the financial costs of healthcare, though only a third (34 percent) of all employers offer supplemental insurance options to their employees.

“Supplemental insurance…can help ease financial stress and bring added peace of mind to their workforce, improving well-being that can lead to increased productivity and retention,” said Owenby. “This can have a profound impact on business outcomes.”

The report found that when employees feel they belong and have purpose, satisfaction increases, stress eases, burnout drops, and engagement deepens.

Employees who feel they belong experience far less workplace stress (30 percent, compared to 56 percent) and lower levels of burnout (55 percent, compared to 78 percent), compared to employees who don’t feel they belong. They also report higher overall job satisfaction (77 percent, compared to 28 percent) and are more satisfied in their relationships with colleagues (80 percent, compared to 34 percent) and superiors (78 percent compared to 29 percent).

“Employees’ sense of belonging influences how they feel about their roles, colleagues, and organization as a whole,” said Owenby. “We should all take note and explore ways to build cultures that genuinely support opportunities for a more engaged workforce — one that is grounded in purpose and value. Belonging is a powerful driver of employee well-being.”