Building healthier, more sustainable careers for young people
Getting a young person into work is an important achievement. Helping them stay, develop and thrive once they are there should be the next measure of success.
New research from AXA Health explores how the earliest years of working life can shape confidence, wellbeing and long-term participation in work — and what employers, government, educators, parents and carers, and young people can do to make those years healthier and more sustainable.
Launching at the Houses of Parliament in September 2026.
The case for action
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The start of a career matters
Starting work can be exciting. It can offer independence, purpose, new skills, connection and the confidence that comes from discovering what you are capable of.
But early working life can also bring unfamiliar pressures: new expectations, workload, feedback, relationships, workplace culture and the challenge of balancing work with everything else going on outside it.
Our research shows that young people do not enter employment with a blank slate. Nearly half say the cost of living regularly affects their wellbeing, while relationships, loneliness, debt and social media can all add to the pressure they are managing.
Employers cannot solve every challenge in someone’s life. But they can help shape whether work becomes a source of confidence and stability — or adds to existing strain.
Three moments where action can make a difference
The evidence points to three key moments when young workers can be better supported to stay connected to work and build healthy, sustainable careers.
1. Before and at the start of work
Young people need preparation for working life — not only preparation for getting a job.
Half of young workers felt well prepared when they first entered employment, but only 13% felt very well prepared and 26% felt poorly prepared. The areas where young people most wanted more preparation included work-life balance, managing workload and stress, building confidence, workplace culture and difficult conversations.
Work-readiness should include the less visible realities of working life: setting boundaries, understanding expectations, responding to feedback, building relationships and knowing what healthy workplace behaviour looks like.
What can help
- Make working-life readiness part of careers education, employability programmes, apprenticeships and transition-to-work support.
- Use induction and early-career programmes to set clear expectations and explain where support is available.
- Help young people understand the difference between reasonable challenge and unhealthy working practices.
2. When pressure starts to build
Difficulties are often recognised late — after wellbeing, confidence or life outside work have already been affected.
Among young workers whose mental health or wellbeing had been significantly affected by work, only 19% recognised the issue at the first signs. Nearly one in four recognised it only when they felt close to burnout, and in 12% of cases someone else noticed first.
The research suggests that pressure often accumulates rather than appearing as one single crisis. Heavy workload, long hours, poor work-life balance, poor communication and poor management were all commonly identified as contributors to periods of poor wellbeing.
What can help
- Build regular conversations about workload, priorities and how people are managing into normal working life.
- Give people clear, low-barrier routes to raise concerns early.
- Encourage young people to notice changes in their own wellbeing and seek appropriate support before pressure escalates.
3. When support is needed
Support only works when people understand it, trust it and can access it.
Many young workers report that wellbeing support is available at work. Yet 57% say they would like to know more about what is available, 45% say support can feel difficult to access, and 51% feel workplace initiatives can be a tick-box exercise.
Managers have a vital role, but they should not be expected to diagnose or treat mental ill health. Their role is to notice changes, listen, respond appropriately and signpost people towards the right support.
What can help
- Equip managers with the time, confidence and practical backing to have supportive conversations.
- Clearly explain what support is available, who provides it, how to access it and what remains confidential.
- Provide a clear route to appropriately qualified clinical care when assessment or treatment is needed.
Good work can build confidence
This is not simply a story about risk. Work can play a positive role in young people’s lives — providing purpose, stability, relationships, learning and a sense of belonging.
Half of young workers say work has increased their confidence overall, rising to nearly two thirds for their current workplace. In their current roles, 73% understand what is expected of them and 72% feel trusted to do their job well.
The opportunity is clear: create working environments where young people feel respected, trusted and able to ask for help — and where challenge supports growth rather than becoming unmanageable pressure.
“Helping a young person into work is an important achievement. Helping them build a working life in which they can remain, develop and thrive should be the next measure of success.”
Heather Smith, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Health
The cost of leaving work behind
When young people move in and out of work, the impact goes beyond an individual job or workplace. It can interrupt careers, reduce confidence, limit skills and experience, and affect future earnings.
Separate analysis for AXA Health by the Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates that labour-market “bouncing” among the current employed young-worker population is expected to result in £16.5 billion in annual gross earnings foregone. Of this, £9.9 billion is modelled as attributable to mental health.
Labour-market bouncing is defined in the research as a temporary period of at least one month outside paid employment, which may occur more than once. The analysis does not suggest that workplace conditions cause every period outside work. It does show the importance of acting earlier to help young people sustain a healthy connection to employment.
What we are calling for
Creating healthier working lives for young people is a shared responsibility. Government can establish the framework; employers can improve the conditions within their control; education and training providers can help prepare people for working life; parents and carers can help young people recognise changes and access appropriate help; and young people can develop the confidence to recognise pressure, set healthy habits and seek support when they need it.
AXA Health is calling for action in five areas:
- Prepare young people for working life, not simply getting a job. Build practical workplace skills into careers education, apprenticeships, employability programmes and employer inductions.
- Make earlier intervention part of workforce health policy. Create opportunities to discuss workload and wellbeing before absence, disengagement or leaving work becomes the trigger for support.
- Give managers the capability, capacity and backup to support healthy teams. Equip managers to set clear expectations, listen, respond and signpost — without expecting them to provide clinical care.
- Make trust and access the standard for workplace health provision. Support must be understandable, confidential, credible and genuinely accessible.
- Make prevention work for every kind of workplace. Ensure solutions work for SMEs, frontline teams, shift workers, mobile workforces and large organisations alike.
For parents and carers
Supporting young people through change
Starting work, changing jobs or taking on more responsibility can be significant transitions. For parents and carers, it can be difficult to know when a young person is having a normal difficult day and when they may need more support.
Dr Imren Sterno, Head of Mental Health and Consultant Clinical Psychologist at AXA Health, shares five practical ways parents and carers can support a young person’s emotional wellbeing — at home, during a transition into work, and when life starts to feel more pressured.
1. Create low-pressure opportunities to talk
Some young people find it harder to open up when they are sat down and asked directly how they are feeling. Try talking side-by-side — in the car, on a walk, or while doing something together, such as cooking or washing up.
Taking the pressure off eye contact and a formal conversation can make it easier for a young person to share what is on their mind, especially if they are anxious or struggling to find the words.
2. Watch for patterns of change, rather than one bad day
Everyone has off days, so it is important not to panic over one difficult afternoon. What can be more telling is a pattern: changes in sleep, appetite, engagement with work or study, or interest in things they would usually enjoy.
Pay attention to how long changes last and how much they affect daily life. If you notice a consistent shift in mood or behaviour, gently check in and seek advice if you are concerned. Do not wait if the change is severe, worsening quickly or you are worried about their safety.
3. Model healthy ways to manage emotion and stress
Young people often learn how to respond to difficult emotions by watching the adults around them. Naming your own feelings and managing stress in a calm, constructive way can help them build similar skills.
You do not need to hide every hard moment. Showing that it is normal to feel frustrated or upset — and that there are healthy ways to work through it — can be a powerful lesson.
4. Agree healthy boundaries around social media and screen use
Digital habits and fear of missing out can affect wellbeing. Where possible, agree boundaries together rather than simply imposing rules.
Discuss what they are seeing online, agree phone-free times as a household — such as mealtimes or the hour before bed — and help them develop healthier habits that they have had a say in shaping.
5. Know when, and how, to seek extra support
If you are worried that difficulties are affecting daily life — including work, study, friendships or sleep — it is important to seek professional support rather than waiting for things to resolve on their own.
A GP, teacher, school or college wellbeing lead, or school nurse may be able to advise on local support. Depending on available cover or services, private healthcare or an Employee Assistance Programme may provide another route to support. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent mental-health help, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
“The aim is not to overreact to every difficult day. It is to notice when something has meaningfully changed, make it easier to talk, and help a young person access the right support when they need it.”
Dr Imren Sterno, Head of Mental Health and Consultant Clinical Psychologist, AXA Health
Bringing the conversation to Parliament
AXA Health is bringing this conversation to the Houses of Parliament, where policymakers, employers and health leaders will consider what it takes to help more young people build healthy, meaningful and sustainable careers.
The event will bring young workers’ experiences to life and explore how earlier support, healthy workplace cultures and accessible care can help prevent people from falling out of work when pressure becomes harder to manage. It is scheduled for Tuesday 15 September 2026, at Portcullis House, ahead of the report’s media launch on Thursday 17 September 2026.
Read the research
Starting Out, Staying In
Building the confidence and conditions for young people to develop healthy, sustainable careers
The report brings together:
- Nationally representative polling of 2,000 UK workers aged 18 to 30.
- Focus groups with young workers at different career stages and across office-based, frontline and operational roles.
- Independent economic analysis by Cebr of the earnings impact of labour-market bouncing among employed adults aged 18 to 35.
About the research
The main AXA Health research was conducted by Opinium among 2,000 UK adults aged 18 to 30 who were in work. Fieldwork took place between 28 July and 6 August 2026, with data weighted to be nationally representative.
Qualitative findings draw on six online focus groups with young workers across different stages of early career and workplace settings. Cebr’s separate economic analysis used a survey of 1,500 employed adults aged 18 to 35 and estimates the expected annual gross earnings foregone from temporary periods of at least one month outside paid employment among the current employed young-worker population.
Survey findings reflect respondents’ reported experiences and should not be interpreted as clinical assessment or diagnosis.
Need support now?
If work or other pressures are affecting your mental health or wellbeing, speaking to someone you trust can be an important first step. If you need urgent help, contact NHS 111, call 999 in an emergency, or use a recognised crisis-support service.
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