When life happens: the moments that disrupt employee resiliency
What employees need when life interrupts work
Resiliency is commonly framed as a personal trait, defined as the ability to stay strong under pressure. But in today’s workforce, resiliency has deeper roots. It’s often tied to an organization’s ability to keep employees healthy, well, and productive.
Many companies have done a great job amplifying well-being support, which is helping to keep employees feeling well. But what happens when life disrupts the plan?
Our recent research* shows that employees rate their overall well-being 7.5 out of 10, suggesting a generally stable baseline. Yet only 35% say they consistently feel resilient. That means that many employees often do not feel able to quickly recover from stress, disruption, or unexpected life events.
That gap becomes most visible during real-life moments.
The moments that test resiliency
For most employees, resiliency isn’t tested during a busy week or a difficult meeting. It’s tested during events like:
- Losing a loved one
- Experiencing illness or injury
- Taking on caregiving responsibilities
- Navigating financial hardship
These moments don’t happen in isolation. They affect emotional well-being, financial stability, and the ability to stay present at work.
Resiliency, in this context, is not about avoiding disruption. It’s about how quickly and effectively employees can recover from it.
Why recovery capacity matters
One of the clearest signals in our research is that employees are not asking for more programs, they are seeking more capacity to recover.
When asked what would improve their resiliency:
- 41% said more time off
- 37% said better work-life balance
- 31% said greater flexibility
These responses point to a structural issue. Employees don’t lack awareness of support. They lack the time, space, and stability to use it effectively.
The role of employers
A well-being strategy focuses on helping employees feel better day to day. A resiliency strategy focuses on ensuring employees can recover when it matters most.
That requires a more integrated approach where:
- Financial protection reduces stress during disruption
- Leave and disability programs enable meaningful recovery
- Flexible policies allow employees to navigate real-life complexity
- Communication ensures employees know what support exists
The takeaway
Life events are inevitable. How employees experience and recover from them is not.
Employers who design for disruption, not just day-to-day well-being, will be better positioned to support a resilient workforce moving forward.
*Source: New York Life Group Benefit Solutions survey conducted by Morning Consult between November 21 – December 3, 2025 among a sample of 2002 U.S. employees and 400 employers in the private sector or government. The interviews were conducted online and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample based on gender. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.
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