Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for a record ninth consecutive year, according to the World Happiness Report 2026, as new findings highlight a more complex and uneven global picture of wellbeing, particularly among younger people. The Nordic nation retained its position at the top of the rankings with an average life evaluation score of 7.764 out of 10. Its continued dominance comes amid widening contrasts between regions, with several European countries maintaining relatively high and stable levels of wellbeing while English-speaking nations continue to slip down the table. (more…)

Wellbeing has overtaken financial security as the primary concern for UK employees, according to new research from Mercer, reflecting a shift in workforce priorities after several years of economic and social disruption. The findings come from Mercer’s Inside Employees’ Minds: Building Confidence in a Changed World 2025 to 2026 report, based on responses from more than 4,000 UK workers. While financial pressures remain widespread, concerns around physical, mental and emotional health now dominate. The study found that 32 percent of employees report poor mental health, with higher prevalence among younger workers. (more…)

A new white paper offering practical guidance for employers on how to recognise, understand and respond to trauma in the workplace has been published by Nottingham Business School (NBS), part of Nottingham Trent University. Recent national figures show that more than 8.5 million adults in England and Wales are survivors of childhood abuse, underlining the scale of trauma?related experiences within the UK workforce. Managing Trauma in the Workplace: Strategies for Wellbeing and Organisational Resilience brings together research, survivor perspectives, and evidence?based recommendations to help HR professionals and managers create psychologically safe working environments. (more…)

Being forced to fake their emotions in the workplace is causing leaders to burn out, according to new research by emlyon business school. The researchers say that this ‘surface acting’ creates a scientifically proven exhaustion loop that drains the very resources necessary to function well in interpersonal environments. As a result, cognitive capacity declines, authenticity erodes, and team trust suffers in ways that makes engaging in leadership more difficult in the future. (more…)

Hobbies could do more than improve your personal life, they could make you more creative and better at work, according to new research published today.  The study by researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Erasmus University Rotterdam explored how ‘leisure crafting’ – intentionally shaping your free time through goal setting, learning and connection – does not just boost well-being outside the office but can spill over into creativity, engagement, and meaning at work, especially for older employees. Published in the journal Human Relations, the findings show that giving people simple, doable advice about how to grow through their hobbies can make a real difference in their daily lives. (more…)