People Risk 2026 report
Explore the top 25 people risks as ranked by over 4,500 HR and Risk professionals, across 26 markets and 12 key industries.
The People Risk Report 2026 is your organisation's guide to managing the top people risks. It draws on insights from over 4,500 HR and risk professionals across 26 markets and 12 industries to highlight the top 25 people risks.
The research findings reveal that HR and Risk Leaders are aligned for 8 out of the top 10 risks, and shows organisations:
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How to navigate AI technology organisational and workforce risks
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How you can address labour shortages through employee experience, not just pay
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How to shift from cost cutting to cost efficiency
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How to make smarter use of data to strengthen governance
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Why and how to intervene before health risks escalate
The Human Edge: Transforming Risk into Strategic Advantage
Why download the report?
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Identify the top people risk impacting your organisation.
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Assess people risk maturity for your organisation for each of the five pillars of risk.
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Identify gaps or ineffective mitigations that leave your organisation exposed.
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Proactively fix major risks and turn them into strengths.
Report FAQs
- Conduct a cross-functional risk review – Bring together risk, HR, technology and operational leaders to review the insights and collectively determine the top people risks for your organisation.
- Quickly assess risk maturity and gaps – Consider your organisation's risk maturity for each of the five pillars of risk and identify gaps or ineffective mitigations that leave your organisation and workforce exposed.
- Fix major risks and turn them into strengths – Work with internal or external experts to manage key, complex risks, using the research to transform risk into strategic advantage for your organisation.
The AI hustle: unlocking real business value
As artificial intelligence reshapes expectations of work and accelerates organisational change, it is also redefining risk — and what it takes to remain competitive. While many employers remain focused on the dangers that AI can bring — from data loss to hallucinations — a far greater threat is emerging: failing to convert AI investment into meaningful productivity, innovation, and performance gains.
Surviving the fast lane: the new leadership challenge
The nature of organisational risk is changing — and leaders sit at the intersection between a volatile world and their organisation’s response. As these pressures intensify, leadership capability has become a critical control at the heart of effective risk management. When leaders lack the skills to adapt quickly, inspire a diverse workforce, and create understanding in the face of ambiguity, risks spread quickly across the organisation.
Frayed loyalty: the growing risk of employee financial insecurity
Employees’ financial vulnerabilities are no longer just a personal issue. Financial insecurity has become a material organisational risk — one that directly affects productivity, retention, and behaviour. In our research, employee financial insecurity ranks within the top ten risks for all regions and as the #4 people risk globally, reflecting the growing pressure employees face as living costs outpace wage growth.
Quest for clarity: regaining control in a time of complexity
Managing rewards and benefits is becoming significantly more complex. Rising health and benefit costs, shifting regulations, growing expectations of transparency, and expanding cyber exposure are all converging at a time when Risk and HR teams are being asked to deliver more, with fewer resources and less margin for error.
Hidden health risks: emphasising what really matters
Workforce health and safety provides the foundation of organisational performance. Employees cannot perform, adapt, or innovate if they are injured or unwell — or if they feel unsafe at work. Yet, despite the pandemic ending just three years ago, health-related risks and the importance of preventive actions appear to be receding from view — overshadowed by more immediate concerns such as cyber threats, AI disruption, and geopolitical instability.