Mental Health Now the Leading Priority for Employees — And 35% Are Ready to Quit to Protect It

Published January 13, 2026 — Based on reporting from BFM Business

Mental health has taken center stage in the French workplace, and employees are no longer willing to compromise. According to the latest Teale barometer, conducted among 10,000 employees across more than 100 companies, 35% of workers have considered resigning to safeguard their mental well‑being — a sharp signal that the issue has become both personal and strategic.

This figure has risen steadily over the past three years (30% in 2023, 34% in 2024), even as overall mental well‑being indicators show slight improvement. The paradox? Employees are getting better at taking care of themselves individually, but organizations are not adapting fast enough to support them.

A Slight Improvement in Well‑Being — But a Growing Disconnect

The average mental health score among employees has increased from 48/100 in 2023 to 51/100 in 2025, just above the World Health Organization’s alert threshold of 50 on the WHO‑5 index.

But this improvement is largely driven by individual self‑care efforts, not by structural changes in the workplace. Employees report learning to regulate stress, protect their boundaries, and manage their emotional load — yet they feel their companies are lagging behind.

Key tensions highlighted in the report:

- Recognition is declining, despite stable productivity.

- Nearly 4 in 10 employees no longer consider workplace stress “manageable.”

- Engagement is weakening: employees “hold on,” but feel less attached to their organization.

Teale describes this as a “discordance” between personal resilience and organizational inertia — a gap that risks turning into disappointment, disengagement, and ultimately, departures.

Unequal Protection: Women and Non‑Managers Most Exposed

While “psychological autonomy” has become the norm, not all employees have the same resources to sustain it. The study shows:

- Women experience a sharper decline in recognition and positive relationships.

- Non‑managers face higher exposure to emotional strain.

- Managers, though appreciated by 81% of employees, are stuck in a role of “emotional buffer” without real power to adjust workload or priorities.

As Teale cofounder Nicolas Merlaud warns:

“Managers cannot be the after‑sales service of an organization under pressure. Mental health must be elevated to the level of strategic decision‑making.”

The Cost of Inaction: A Strategic Risk for Employers

Poor mental health is not just a human issue — it’s a performance issue. Companies supported by Teale have observed:

- 14% reduction in absenteeism risk

- 21% reduction in turnover risk

- 8% increase in productivity

For every €1 invested in mental health, companies avoid €4.40 in costs, according to Teale’s analysis.

With mental health designated as a Grande Cause Nationale for the second consecutive year in France, 2026 is shaping up to be a turning point. Experts are calling for a data‑driven, two‑level strategy:

1. Psychological actions

- Emotional skills development

- Individual support

- Stress regulation tools

2. Organizational reforms

- Clearer priorities

- Adjusted workloads

- Stronger managerial support

- Protected “no‑contact” time slots

3. Targeted measures

- For high‑risk roles

- For overstretched support teams

- For emotionally demanding professions

A Silent Distance That Could Become a Wave of Resignations

The 2025 barometer sends a clear message: mental health is no longer a “nice‑to‑have” — it is a decisive factor in employee loyalty and company performance.

If organizations fail to evolve, the growing gap between employees’ expectations and workplace realities may soon translate into mass departures — and significant financial losses..

Rebuilding Workplaces Where Well‑Being Can Breathe Again

A sustainable path forward begins with treating mental health as a structural priority rather than an individual responsibility. Companies that want to avoid a wave of preventable resignations need to clarify workloads, protect real recovery time, and give managers the authority—not just the duty—to regulate pressure. When organizations pair emotional support with concrete operational changes, employees no longer feel they must choose between their well‑being and their job. This shift not only preserves talent but strengthens trust, engagement, and long‑term performance.

“When work begins to breathe again, the soul remembers its own rhythm — and the whole garden of life grows lighter.” — Koöko Fleurs