A new barometer on the mental health of managers and employees at French TPE-PME (small and medium-sized enterprises) shows that 68% of employees regularly experience situations of intense stress at work. Eight percent say they experience intense stress daily or almost daily.
The study, the “Baromètre santé mentale des dirigeants et salariés de TPE-PME”, was conducted by research firm Ipsos BVA on behalf of insurer AG2R La Mondiale and the Alliance for Mental Health. On the employee side, 1,000 workers at companies with fewer than 250 employees were surveyed online between 7 and 15 July 2026; 307 managers were surveyed by phone between 1 and 17 July 2026. The results were presented on 9 September 2026.
Gap between policy and perception
Notably, there is a gap between what managers believe they are doing and what employees actually experience: 76% of managers consider the mental health measures in place effective, compared with only 55% of employees. Only 41% of employees recognise the communication channels managers say they have set up.
Reluctance to speak up
More than half (51%) of surveyed employees say they kept working when they felt they should have taken leave. The main reason cited, by 31%, is fear of financial consequences, followed by wanting to meet deadlines (13%) and lack of replacement staff (11%). 42% find it difficult to discuss mental health at work; among already vulnerable employees, this rises to 69%.
Relevance for EHS professionals
Small and medium-sized businesses often have less capacity for a dedicated occupational physician or confidential counsellor than larger organisations. These figures matter to anyone worldwide responsible for psychosocial occupational health policy in SMEs: well-intentioned measures only reach employees if the communication around them actually gets through.
Source: Santé mentale : 68 % des salariés de TPE-PME confrontés à un stress intense, 16 September 2026. Additional research: AG2R La Mondiale newsroom, ActionCo.fr
