LONDON, 30 June 2026 — Buy a coffee on the way to work, grab a vape at lunch, order a burger after a long day and finish with a pint at your local, and you'll have been served by some of the UK's happiest workers.

New data from Deputy's 2026 Shift Pulse Report shows employees working in vape and tobacco stores (96.29%), coffee shops (81.76%), fast-food restaurants (81.33%) and bars (81.04%) report the highest levels of positive sentiment of any frontline workers in the UK.

The findings come from an analysis of 100,000 anonymous end-of-shift responses collected between May 2025 and April 2026 and paint a picture of a workforce that remains positive overall, but is becoming increasingly emotionally disconnected from work.

Overall positive sentiment among UK shift workers fell from 72.21% to 67.05% over the past year, while negative sentiment rose only marginally from 6.78% to 7.42%.

The real story sits in the middle. More than one in four workers (25.52%) now finish their shifts feeling simply "Okay", creating what Deputy describes as the UK's growing "Okay Economy".

The rise of the "Okay Economy"

Unlike previous years, the decline in workplace sentiment is not being driven by a surge in unhappy workers. Instead, employees are gradually moving from feeling "Amazing" to "Good", and from "Good" to "Okay". The data suggests a growing cohort of workers who are neither thriving nor struggling, but simply going through the motions.

Deputy’s Chief Technology Officer Ciaran Hale said employers should be paying close attention. "The biggest shift in this year's data isn't a rise in stress or frustration. It's the growth of emotional neutrality. Workers aren't burning out in large numbers. They're becoming less energised, less connected and less enthusiastic about work. That creates a different challenge for employers because disengagement is much harder to spot than dissatisfaction."

The report identifies cost-of-living pressures, labour shortages, unstable scheduling and limited career progression as key contributors to the trend.

Gen Z experiences the highest highs and lowest lows

For the first time, Deputy analysed workplace sentiment through a generational lens, uncovering a surprising contradiction among the UK's youngest workers.

Gen Z ranked as the second happiest generation in the country, with 70.13% reporting positive sentiment at the end of a shift, trailing only Baby Boomers (72.75%).

Yet the same generation also recorded the highest level of negative sentiment, with 8.88% reporting feelings of stress or frustration. No other generation displayed such a dramatic split.

The findings suggest Gen Z workers are experiencing work more intensely than their older colleagues, delivering some of the highest levels of enthusiasm and engagement while also being the most likely to feel disappointed when expectations around work, pay, hours or career progression are not being met.

For many young workers, shift-based roles provide financial independence, flexibility and social connection. At the same time, they are navigating a period of economic uncertainty marked by rising living costs, housing affordability challenges and increased pressure to balance multiple sources of income.

"Gen Z isn't disengaged. If anything, they're the opposite," said Hale. "They're bringing energy, ambition and optimism into the workplace, which is why they rank among the happiest generations in our data. But they're also more likely to become frustrated when their expectations aren't being met. The same emotional investment that drives positive experiences can also amplify negative ones."

The findings suggest employers who provide clear communication, predictable schedules, regular feedback and opportunities for development will be best positioned to attract and retain younger workers in an increasingly competitive labour market.

Manchester; the face of "Okay UK"

Regional sentiment revealed sharp contrasts across the UK. Cornwall emerged as the happiest region in the report, with 80.33% of shift workers reporting positive sentiment, followed by Edinburgh (73.85%) and London (70.58%).

However, London also recorded the highest level of negative sentiment nationally at 8.29%, highlighting the intensity and pressure many workers face in the capital.

The most surprising finding came from Manchester. The city recorded one of the lowest positive sentiment scores in the report at just 29.51%, yet also one of the lowest levels of outright negativity. Manchester represents the clearest example of the report's defining trend: workers who are neither thriving nor struggling, but simply going through the motions. If the UK's workplace challenge in 2026 is the rise of the neutral middle, Manchester may be where it is most visible.

“Low positivity combined with low negativity suggests workers aren't necessarily unhappy. They're simply disconnected.” said Hale. “That can be harder for employers to address because it often flies under the radar until retention, engagement and performance begin to suffer."

Download the report below:

About the report

The 2026 UK Shift Pulse Report analysed 100,000 Shift Pulse survey responses submitted by shift workers between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026. Shift Pulse is Deputy's one-tap employee feedback tool that allows workers to anonymously record how they feel at the end of every shift.

About Deputy

Deputy is the intuitive, people platform built specifically for shift work. Trusted by over 1.5 million shift workers and 380,000 workplaces in more than 100 countries, Deputy brings together AI-powered scheduling, compliance automation, accurate payroll and mobile-first communication to help businesses run more efficiently and teams feel empowered. Discover more at www.deputy.com ​

Mat Beeche

Global Strategic Communications Director, Deputy

• E. mbeeche@deputy.com