Stress & Anxiety in the Workplace: What Every Team Needs to Know

Rising Workplace Mental Strain

Recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for 2024/25, published in November 2025, reveal a marked deterioration in workplace mental health. The number of workers reporting work-related stress, depression or anxiety climbed to 964,000 from 776,000 the previous year, while new cases rose to 409,000 from 300,000. This escalation has translated into 22.1 million working days lost—an average of nearly 23 days per case—representing a one-third increase over the prior period and comprising 62% of all days lost to work-related ill health.

The uptick reflects persistent post-pandemic pressures compounded by ongoing economic uncertainty, including fears of redundancy, escalating workloads, and unpaid overtime. These factors hit younger employees hardest: surveys indicate 91% of UK adults experienced high or extreme pressure in the past year, with 20% taking time off due to stress-related mental health problems, rising to 39% among those aged 18-24.

Regulatory responses have intensified. The HSE has prioritised psychosocial risks under existing duties in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, signalling potential enforcement where employers ignore indicators such as repeated absences. The Employment Rights Act 2025 further embeds mental health within statutory duty of care, requiring proactive management of psychological hazards equivalent to physical ones.

Economic consequences are substantial. Poor mental health imposes annual costs on UK employers estimated between £51 billion and £56 billion, driven by absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity while at work), and turnover. Inaction risks not only higher sickness absence—already at record levels—but also legal exposure under equality and health and safety laws, particularly if conditions qualify as disabilities.

A key tension lies in disclosure and support: over one in three workers feel uncomfortable raising stress with managers, a figure rising among younger staff, even as organisations increasingly adopt wellbeing strategies. This reluctance can delay intervention, allowing issues to escalate into longer absences or disputes.