For employers, the impact extends far beyond employee wellbeing. Unmanaged workplace stress can affect productivity, increase staff turnover, damage morale and, in some cases, expose organisations to significant legal risk.
National Stress Awareness Day provides an opportunity for employers to reflect on whether their workplace is equipped to recognise, manage and reduce stress before it develops into a more serious issue.
Recent figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimate that almost one million workers experienced work-related stress, depression or anxiety during 2024/25. These conditions accounted for more than 22 million working days lost, underlining the significant impact that poor mental wellbeing can have on organisations of all sizes.
Employers’ Legal Responsibilities
Employers have a legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees, including their mental wellbeing. These obligations arise primarily under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
In practice, this means employers must take reasonable steps to identify factors that could cause work-related stress and put measures in place to reduce those risks where possible.
Whilst long working hours are often associated with workplace stress, employers should take a broader view. Excessive workloads, a lack of support, unclear expectations, workplace conflict and organisational change can all contribute to stress-related issues, even where employees are working within contractual hours.
Importantly, an employer’s responsibilities do not end with compliance. Businesses that fail to address workplace stress can face increased absence levels, recruitment costs, management time and, in some circumstances, Employment Tribunal claims.
Recognising the Warning Signs
Managers are often best placed to identify when an employee may be struggling. Common warning signs can include:
- increased sickness absence;
- reduced productivity or performance;
- missed deadlines;
- changes in behaviour or mood;
- withdrawal from colleagues or team activities;
- complaints about workload or working hours; and
- difficulties concentrating or making decisions.
Whilst these signs do not necessarily indicate work-related stress, they should prompt a conversation and consideration of whether additional support may be needed.
Assessing and Managing Stress Risks
Employers should regularly assess workplace stress risks and review whether existing measures remain effective.
The HSE identifies six key areas that can lead to work-related stress if not managed appropriately:
- Demands, including workload and working patterns;
- Control, including the level of autonomy employees have over their work;
- Support from managers and colleagues;
- Relationships at work;
- Role clarity; and
- Change management.
A sensible approach will usually involve:
- identifying potential causes of workplace stress;
- consulting with employees about concerns and possible solutions;
- implementing measures to reduce identified risks; and
- periodically reviewing whether those measures are working in practice.
Workplace stress should not be viewed as solely an HR issue. Effective management requires involvement from senior leadership, line managers and employees alike.
Supporting Employees Experiencing Stress
Creating a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing mental wellbeing can often prevent issues from escalating.
Where a manager becomes aware that an employee may be struggling, an early and supportive conversation can make a significant difference. The aim should be to understand the underlying causes, identify what support may be required and agree any practical steps that could help.
Depending on the circumstances, appropriate measures may include:
- temporary adjustments to workloads;
- additional supervision or support;
- flexible working arrangements;
- amended working hours;
- training or mentoring; and
- access to employee wellbeing services or counselling support.
Employees should also have alternative channels through which they can seek support if they do not feel comfortable raising concerns directly with their manager.
When Stress May Become a Legal Issue
Stress itself is not automatically a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. However, stress-related conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression and other mental health conditions can amount to a disability where they have a substantial and long-term impact on an individual’s day-to-day activities.
Where an employee may be disabled, employers should carefully consider whether reasonable adjustments are required. These might include amended duties, adjusted hours, enhanced support or a phased return to work following a period of sickness absence.
This is often an area where employers face significant legal risk. Failure to recognise potential disability issues or to consider reasonable adjustments can result in discrimination claims, alongside wider employee relations issues.
Preventing Work-Related Stress
The most effective approach is to address workplace stress before problems arise.
Employers should consider:
- maintaining a clear wellbeing and mental health policy;
- conducting regular stress risk assessments;
- encouraging open communication across the workforce;
- training managers to identify and respond appropriately to stress-related concerns;
- ensuring employees are able to take annual leave and appropriate breaks;
- monitoring workload levels and resourcing pressures; and
- providing access to wellbeing initiatives and employee support programmes.
Organisations that prioritise employee wellbeing are often better placed to attract, retain and engage talented employees whilst reducing absence and associated costs.
How We Can Help
Work-related stress is rarely a straightforward HR issue. Concerns about stress often overlap with sickness absence management, performance issues, grievances, disciplinary matters and potential disability discrimination risks.
Our Employment Team advises employers on all aspects of managing workplace stress, including:
- drafting and reviewing wellbeing policies;
- conducting stress risk assessments;
- managing long-term sickness absence;
- disability and reasonable adjustment issues;
- grievance and disciplinary procedures;
- workplace investigations; and
- defending Employment Tribunal claims.
Whether you are seeking to strengthen your wellbeing framework or are dealing with a complex employee relations matter, our experienced employment lawyers can provide practical and commercially focused advice to help protect your business and support your workforce.
Our expert employment team can help your business put policies and procedures in place to manage workplace stress and improve employee wellbeing.
