Nearly half of young workers say working from home makes them lonely, compared with just 18 per cent of over-55s

Bupa Wellbeing Index figures show remote-working loneliness among 18 to 24-year-olds has risen from 42% in 2025 to 47% in 2026, even as the rate dipped for the broader population. Shazna Khanom, head of clinical mental health at Bupa, argued that employers need to treat connection with the same seriousness as flexibility, and that young people need to feel "connected, supported and able to thrive."

41% of Gen Z workers report that mental health affected their performance over the past year, against 29% across all age groups.