Burnout among Americans in the workplace has escalated to a six-year high, according to the latest Aflac Workforces Report released by Aflac Inc., a leading provider of supplemental health insurance and products in the U.S. The report tracks the state of the American workplace among employees and employers—shining the light on trends, attitudes, needs, and experiences in health care and benefits administration.
Nearly three in four (72%) 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% experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout, compared to 66% of millennials in 2025. The report reveals fewer employees are confident that their employers care about their mental health (48%, compared to 54% in 2024). Heavy workloads (54%) continue to be the top driver of stress. Outside of work, employees across all generations face stress and worry around finances, personal responsibilities, and uncertainty around the future.
“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,” says Matthew Owenby, chief strategy officer at Aflac. “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.”
American workers continue to feel financially fragile. More than two in five (44%) employees—and 54% of African Americans, 51% of Gen Z, and 46% of Hispanics—say they could not pay $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs for an unexpected illness or injury. As prescription drug prices and healthcare costs rise, American workers are experiencing medical cost anxiety. More than half (52%) of employees say they feel anxious about healthcare costs not covered by their insurance. This anxiety is highest for Gen Z (61%), up from 54% in 2024) and is on the rise for baby boomers. Nearly half of employees have delayed treatment or medical care because they could not afford it (45%), and 40% weren’t sure if it was covered by their health insurance.
According to the report, American employees’ confidence in their health coverage if faced with a major health event has declined over the past year (58%, compared to 64% in 2024). Most employees underestimate the financial burden of a serious diagnosis. For example, nearly three-quarters (72%) believe the out-of-pocket cost for a year of cancer treatment would be under $2,000. According to a recent JAMA Network study, privately insured patients with newly diagnosed cancer, particularly those with more advanced disease, had substantial out-of-pocket costs in just the first six months after diagnosis (averaging nearly $600 per month), with later diagnosis stages costing even more and continuing care incurring additional expenditures each year.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of employers believe their employees understand their total healthcare costs, yet only 54% of employees say they do, according to the report. Only 42% employees are confident that they understand everything about their health insurance policies, down from 49% in 2024. More than two-thirds (69%) of employees say they wish their organizations would provide more information about their benefits packages than they currently achieve. Employers could help employees by communicating more about benefits, as 54% say they only communicate about it leading up to open enrollment.
Supplemental benefits stand out as an important part of a comprehensive benefits package and a viable step toward financial stability and peace of mind. They can help fill the financial void left by high deductibles, co-pays, or other unexpected medical expenses. The study shows 90% of employees believe the need for supplemental insurance is increasing—most notably among Hispanic Americans (94%), African Americans (93%), and Gen Z (94%). African Americans (60%) and Hispanic Americans (50%) are more likely to purchase voluntary benefits to help offset financial costs of healthcare, yet only a third (34%) of all employers offer supplemental insurance options to their employees.
Fostering a sense of belonging is vital to a healthier, more productive workplace. The report underscores that when employees feel they belong and have purpose, satisfaction rises, stress eases, burnout drops, and engagement deepens. Employees who feel they belong experience far less workplace stress (30%, compared to 56%) and lower levels of burnout (55%, compared to 78%), compared to employees who don’t feel they belong. They also report much higher overall job satisfaction (77%, compared to 28%) — and are more satisfied in their relationships with colleagues (80%, compared to 34%) and superiors (78%, compared to 29%).
“Employees’ sense of belonging influences how they feel about their roles, colleagues and organization as a whole,” says 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.”
