Solving for burnout: 7 strategies to enhance workers’ mental health and productivity in 2026
Solving for burnout: 7 strategies to enhance workers’ mental health and productivity in 2026
Loneliness and burnout—deeply interwined in the workplace—are hitting American workers (and companies) hard.
In 2025, global healthcare firm Cigna found that over half of all employees surveyed felt lonely. Around 57% admitted to feeling unmotivated and stagnant, while two-thirds of full-time workers say they experience burnout on the job, according to a 2025 Gallup study.
The financial toll is jaw-dropping. Harvard Business Review reports that loneliness costs U.S. companies up to $154 billion annually through lost productivity, increased burnout, and employees resigning. Globally, Gallup puts the cost of low engagement at $8.9 trillion in 2024—approximately 9% of global GDP.
Leaders at Google, Apple, Microsoft, and other major companies are bringing staff back to the fold through return-to-office mandates, citing concerns around eroding company culture and collaboration. Starting in February, Meta’s Instagram will require all employees to work in the office five days a week to foster a more creative and collaborative working environment and build a “winning culture.”
But professionals overwhelmingly want to work remotely, at least some of the time, citing enhanced productivity, better work-life balance, and the freedom to work from anywhere. Robert Half, which topped Forbes’ List of America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms for seven consecutive years, reports that fewer than one-fifth of workers said their top choice would be an in-office job last year.
In 2026, business leaders need to answer a key question: What are the best strategies for balancing employee job satisfaction and proven productivity gains with a company culture built on connection?
As workplace models and trends continue to evolve, CANOPY shares seven strategies to attract, retain, and support talent in 2026, from coworking membership stipends to personal wellness budgets.
1. Follow Google, Amazon, and Microsoft in Formally Adopting a Hybrid Model—and Communicate Policies Clearly to Staff.
Hybrid work arrangements—especially those that incorporate varied work locations—are linked to significant reductions in burnout symptoms by restoring balance and personal rhythms to the workday. Flexible work arrangements support the hiring of top talent and reduce workforce churn. Resume builder firm LiveCareer found that 57% of candidates drop out of the interview process when a company’s remote work policy is unclear; Pew Research Center found that nearly half of employees would consider quitting if remote work were removed.
Leaders at major companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have implemented return-to-office mandates, requiring at least three in-office days every week to address eroding company culture and enhance collaboration. Some theorize that working with team members in person for part of the workweek may help people manage their time, stay inspired, and communicate better while avoiding Zoom fatigue.
2. Create a Third Space by Offering Stipends for Coworking Spaces.
Various studies have reported that anywhere from half to 90% of workers say they’re more productive out of the office, citing a lack of commute and coworker interruptions during the day. But the home environment can also bring distractions, including from family members and pets, making it harder for some employees to switch into “work mode” in an environment they associate with relaxation.
Shared offices are an ideal “third location,” restoring the psychological “commute” while allowing workers to benefit from a professional setting as part of a diverse community. Some of the world’s largest companies are jumping on coworking spaces, including Pfizer, Amazon.com, JPMorgan Chase, Lyft and Anthropic. Staff at HubSpot and website-building company Webflow receive a monthly allowance for remote work expenses; tech jobs platform BuiltIn has a running list of more than 1,800 firms offering a budget for home offices.
3. Redesign Physical Workspaces To Be Somewhere Employees Choose To Work
In San Francisco, architecture, design, and planning firm Gensler has found that design is no longer a backdrop—it’s the engine driving performance, loyalty, and resilience, redefining the workplace as a destination people choose. “The best workplaces don’t just support work—they reflect what people value most,” said Janet Pogue McLaurin, Gensler’s global director of workplace research.
The trend toward hybrid working necessitates new spaces or the reinvention of existing locations to accommodate flexible models and workforce sizes. At the same time, organizations are recognizing that outdated, poorly lit, and uncomfortable office environments negatively impact productivity and well-being. Conversely, spaces that foster collaboration and interaction help employees thrive—and, more importantly, inspire them to commit to the commute.
Polsinelli Law’s new Clayton, Missouri, office, designed by HOK, features coffee bars and a signature café, along with other hospitality-focused elements, like lounge areas. T-Mobile’s renovated campus headquarters in Washington incorporates two floors of amenities—six diverse dining kiosks, a vintage Airstream serving frozen yogurt—connected by a 1,000-square-foot grand staircase that doubles as amphitheater seating.
4. Integrate Well-Being and Mental Health as an Ecosystem, Not Disconnected Perks and Policies
Mental health should be treated as a core benefit, not “nice to have.” Stress, physical and mental health, loneliness, and burnout are deeply entwined, and workplace policies to tackle them must be holistic, including manager training to recognize the early signs of fatigue. Formal, confidential access to preventative mental health care reduces stigma, supports early help-seeking, and helps de-escalate stress before it becomes burnout, supporting healthier, more engaged teams.
Google offers employee assistance programs (EAPs) with mental health counselling and access to virtual therapy for staff and their families, integrated into broader well-being benefits. Microsoft’s well-being benefits include counseling resources and reimbursed mental health support via its global CARES programs and partnerships with Thrive Global and Headspace.
5. Offer More PTO
Compared to other developed nations, the United States famously has some of the lowest federal allowances for vacation days, and taking time away from the office has become a source of friction—especially in start-up culture where “unlimited PTO” invariably means most employees take none. Several companies use “well-being days,” mental health leave, or additional personal time off specifically for rest or recovery, signalling that employers recognize employee well-being is a business priority, not a reward.
6. Provide Personalized Wellness Budgets
Employers are going beyond health insurance to offer covered, personalized programs that let employees choose which products and services most benefit them. Previously, ahead-of-the-curve companies offered curated activities in-house—Johnson & Johnson’s Live for Life program was founded in the 1970s, helping people be tobacco-free and drive safely—but now many companies, such as Holisticly, offer employee benefit programs as standalone B2B products spanning ceramics classes, meditation, and acupuncture.
Salesforce offers a monthly “Wellbeing Reimbursement” budget that employees can spend on therapy, mindfulness, fitness, or rest activities. Outdoor apparel company Patagonia encourages employees to spend time outdoors, hosts on-site and off-site yoga, and helps employees with financial stress by providing a 100% college tuition reimbursement and on-site childcare.
7. Reduce Meeting Load and Protect Time for Deep and Focus Work
Meeting overload is a well-documented driver of burnout. When workers are forced to continually context switch, they lose momentum and focus—especially if the meeting has no bearing on their work. In his company-wide memo ordering staff back to the office five days a week in 2026, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri also told workers to reduce meetings to biweekly 1-on-1s and decline meetings that fall during their “focus blocks.” “We all spend too much time in meetings that are not effective, and it’s slowing us down,” Mosseri noted.
Shopify famously used a bot to delete thousands of recurring meetings, freeing up over 322,000 hours of employee time, designating Wednesdays as a permanent meeting-free day. LinkedIn also has “No-Meeting Wednesdays” to give teams uninterrupted time for deep work, reducing cognitive fatigue.
This story was produced by CANOPY and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
