Employers Urged to Reassess Workplace Stress Controls as Work-Related Ill Health Rises

UK employers are being urged to strengthen their management of workplace stress and psychosocial risks following new evidence that work-related ill health linked to stress, anxiety and depression continues to rise across multiple business sectors. Health and safety professionals warn that many organisations are still treating mental health as an HR issue rather than a core occupational safety risk.

Recent analysis by occupational health bodies shows that stress-related conditions now account for the largest proportion of working days lost to ill health, overtaking musculoskeletal disorders in many industries. The trend has been observed across professional services, construction management, logistics, manufacturing and customer-facing roles, with long hours, workload pressure and poorly managed organisational change cited as key contributing factors.

“Workplace stress is no longer a soft issue,” said Dr. Elaine Porter, an occupational health consultant advising large employers. “We are seeing a clear link between unmanaged workload pressures and increased sickness absence, reduced concentration and, in some cases, higher accident rates. From a safety perspective, this is about preventing harm before it manifests in incidents.”

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reiterated that employers have a legal duty to assess and manage risks to mental health in the same way they would physical hazards. An HSE spokesperson said: “Stress, anxiety and depression are predictable and preventable where risks are properly identified. Organisations are expected to put suitable controls in place and review them when working arrangements change.”

Business groups say the issue has been exacerbated by hybrid working models and ongoing restructuring across many sectors. While flexible working has delivered benefits, it has also blurred boundaries between work and personal life, leading to extended working hours and reduced recovery time for some employees. Managers have reported difficulties in identifying early warning signs of burnout when teams are dispersed.

Trade unions argue that the problem is not limited to white-collar environments. “We are hearing from workers across retail, transport and manufacturing who are under constant pressure to meet targets with fewer staff,” said Paul Dennison, a national health and safety officer with Unite. “Stress becomes a safety issue when fatigue, distraction and low morale start to affect decision-making.”

Some organisations have begun to respond by integrating mental health risks into formal safety management processes, including risk assessments, incident investigations and management reviews. Occupational safety advisers say this shift reflects a growing recognition that psychosocial hazards can undermine overall safety performance if left unaddressed.

As regulators continue to emphasise the importance of proactive risk management, health and safety professionals expect closer scrutiny of how businesses assess stress and workload pressures. Porter added: “The organisations that treat mental health as part of their safety system - rather than a wellbeing add-on - are the ones most likely to see sustained improvements in performance and resilience.”

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