THE CXO SUMMIT REVIEW
WHAT REALLY MAKES A HAPPY WORKPLACE?
WRITTEN BY: LUCY BUCHHOLZ
Taking centre stage at the CXO Summit, Matt Phelan, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The Happiness Index, shared key data from the UK Workplace Happiness Report 2026. Serving as a deeper follow-up to The Global Workplace Happiness Report released earlier in the year, the national report highlighted that happy employees don’ t necessarily correlate with employee loyalty. UK-based employees were found to be happier than many of their global peers; however, they’ re also more likely to be a major flight risk, as only 62 % intend to stay in their roles over the next 12 months, versus 72 % internationally.“ The real basics are that happy employees are more creative, they’ re more productive, and their companies outperform their peers,” Matt said while on stage. Rather than feeling connected to their company, employees use strong peer relationships as a“ cultural shield” against friction, yet a sense of team camaraderie cannot replace a missing sense of belonging – the single strongest statistical driver of retention. Matt highlighted how this disconnect runs through the entire hierarchy, with executives enjoying high clarity and autonomy, while entry-level staff struggle with poor feedback.
To protect the bottom line, leaders must look beyond surface perks and tackle core operational fixes: rebuilding feedback loops, breaking down departmental silos and aligning boardroom promises with daily realities.
TOP 3
REPORT FINDINGS OF UK WORKPLACE HAPPINESS REPORT 2026
• The Retention Paradox: UK employees report higher day-to-day happiness than global benchmarks; however, only 62 % wanted to stay at the current company for the next 12 months.
• The Belonging Deficit: Belonging was named as the single strongest statistical driver of retention, but many UK workplaces trail significantly behind global standards.
• The Seniority Gap: Executive leaders score their workplace experience at a thriving high, while entry-level staff sit near the bottom due to poor feedback and collaboration barriers.
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