BURNOUT is “fast becoming one of the UK’s most serious shared challenges” after nearly two in five young workers took time off due to stress-induced poor mental health last year, a charity warned today.

The rate is almost double that of the general working-age population and up 3 per cent on the previous year, Mental Health UK found.

It comes after the TUC this week warned that work-related stress is now the biggest health and safety problem facing working people, with nearly eight in 10 union safety reps saying so in the union federation’s latest national survey.

Young adults aged between 18 and 24 “continue to face a great deal of strain in the workplace” with 93 per cent reporting high or extreme levels of pressure and stress in the last year, its latest Burnout Report warned.

Almost half of the people in this age group told its YouGov survey that feeling isolated at work had contributed to their issues.

Other factors included fears of redundancy at 43 per cent and high workloads at 57 per cent.

Mental Health UK chief executive Brian Dow said: “We all want a thriving economy that benefits employers and workers alike, but unless we tackle chronic workplace stress and help people perform at their best, we are effectively trying to accelerate with the handbrake on.

“This year’s report highlights continuing concerns about high levels of absence among younger workers.

“This group is facing pressures both inside and outside work, alongside an uncertain job market where AI is increasingly seen as a threat to some entry-level roles. For many, the social contract that rewarded previous generations for hard work is breaking down.”

In general, more than nine in 10 people reported experiencing high or extreme levels of stress, with one in five workers taking time off due to poor mental health caused by the issue.

People aged 25 to 34 were most likely to experience these levels of stress at 96 per cent, overtaking those aged between 35 and 44.

Almost two thirds of 18 to 24-year-olds reported poor sleep and money worries, six in 10 saying they feel isolated outside of work.

Mr Dow added that “employers have a vital role in helping people stay in work,” but managers “often feel unsure about starting conversations on stress and mental health.”