Over Half of Young Employees Returning to Office Feel Like Quitting Without Clear Reason After Holidays, U-WA Survey Finds
U-WA Inc., a mental coaching business, conducted a survey of 425 office workers in their 20s and 30s who commute to the office at least four days a week. The results show that over 55% experience 'May Sickness' symptoms after the long holidays, and 51.1% have considered quitting without a clear reason. Key factors cited include dissatisfaction with salary and benefits, as well as stress from commuting, highlighting a lack of career clarity among young employees as a related issue.
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- 📰 Published: May 21, 2026 at 00:00
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U-WA Inc., a company specializing in the mental coaching business, conducted a 'Survey on May Sickness among Young Office Workers Amid the Return to Office.' The survey targeted office workers in their 20s and 30s who currently commute to the office four or more days a week due to return-to-office policies. This research sheds light on the reality of physical and mental distress, known as 'May Sickness,' experienced by these employees, the contributing factors to their desire to resign, and their sense of purpose regarding their own careers.
## Background
As companies increasingly mandate a return to the office post-COVID-19, the period from the new fiscal year through the long holidays in Japan sees a surge of interest in 'May Sickness' (Gogatsu-byo), a term for mental and physical distress caused by environmental changes. The fatigue from commuting and the gap in working styles due to increased office attendance are thought to significantly impact the mental state and retention of young business professionals. For companies, addressing the risk of 'quiet quitting'—where employees feel a vague desire to leave without a clear reason—has become a critical management issue. However, there has been a lack of data showing the direct link between the current trend of mandatory office attendance and 'May Sickness' among young employees. This prompted U-WA Inc. to conduct the survey.
## Key Survey Findings
- **Experience of 'May Sickness'**: Over 55% of respondents feel the physical and mental effects of 'May Sickness' after the long holidays, with 20.0% 'strongly feeling it' and 35.5% 'feeling it to some extent'.
- **Intention to Resign**: Over half of the respondents (51.1%) reported sometimes feeling the urge to quit their jobs without a clear reason after the long holidays ('often feel it' 16.0%, 'sometimes feel it' 35.1%).
- **Impact on Job Searching**: More than one in three respondents (35.1%) have browsed job search websites as a result of 'May Sickness.'
- **Reasons for Wanting to Quit**: Among those who feel like quitting, the top three factors were: 1) 'Dissatisfaction with salary and benefits' (45.6%), tied for 2) 'Dissatisfaction with the work environment (hours, holidays, etc.)' and 'Fatigue and stress from commuting' (both 44.7%).
- **Career Goal Clarity (Group with Resignation Intent)**: Over half (53.4%) of those who feel like quitting admitted they cannot clearly articulate what they truly want or their purpose in their career ('Cannot articulate it well' 41.9%, 'Cannot articulate it at all' 11.5%).
- **Career Goal Clarity (Group without Resignation Intent)**: Even among employees who reported not feeling the urge to quit, more than half were also unable to clearly articulate what they truly want or their purpose in their career. (Original text ends here.)
## Survey Outline
- Survey Period: April 24-27, 2026
- Survey Method: Internet survey
- Target Audience: Office workers in their 20s and 30s commuting to the office 4+ days/week.
- Number of Respondents: 425
- Monitor Provider: RC Research Data
## Background
As companies increasingly mandate a return to the office post-COVID-19, the period from the new fiscal year through the long holidays in Japan sees a surge of interest in 'May Sickness' (Gogatsu-byo), a term for mental and physical distress caused by environmental changes. The fatigue from commuting and the gap in working styles due to increased office attendance are thought to significantly impact the mental state and retention of young business professionals. For companies, addressing the risk of 'quiet quitting'—where employees feel a vague desire to leave without a clear reason—has become a critical management issue. However, there has been a lack of data showing the direct link between the current trend of mandatory office attendance and 'May Sickness' among young employees. This prompted U-WA Inc. to conduct the survey.
## Key Survey Findings
- **Experience of 'May Sickness'**: Over 55% of respondents feel the physical and mental effects of 'May Sickness' after the long holidays, with 20.0% 'strongly feeling it' and 35.5% 'feeling it to some extent'.
- **Intention to Resign**: Over half of the respondents (51.1%) reported sometimes feeling the urge to quit their jobs without a clear reason after the long holidays ('often feel it' 16.0%, 'sometimes feel it' 35.1%).
- **Impact on Job Searching**: More than one in three respondents (35.1%) have browsed job search websites as a result of 'May Sickness.'
- **Reasons for Wanting to Quit**: Among those who feel like quitting, the top three factors were: 1) 'Dissatisfaction with salary and benefits' (45.6%), tied for 2) 'Dissatisfaction with the work environment (hours, holidays, etc.)' and 'Fatigue and stress from commuting' (both 44.7%).
- **Career Goal Clarity (Group with Resignation Intent)**: Over half (53.4%) of those who feel like quitting admitted they cannot clearly articulate what they truly want or their purpose in their career ('Cannot articulate it well' 41.9%, 'Cannot articulate it at all' 11.5%).
- **Career Goal Clarity (Group without Resignation Intent)**: Even among employees who reported not feeling the urge to quit, more than half were also unable to clearly articulate what they truly want or their purpose in their career. (Original text ends here.)
## Survey Outline
- Survey Period: April 24-27, 2026
- Survey Method: Internet survey
- Target Audience: Office workers in their 20s and 30s commuting to the office 4+ days/week.
- Number of Respondents: 425
- Monitor Provider: RC Research Data