April marks Stress Awareness Month, led by the Stress Management Society. The campaign aims to raise awareness of stress and encourage practical steps to improve wellbeing. At Kingfisher, we will be working in tandem and issuing a program of guidance during the month.
Stress is something we all experience, but when it becomes prolonged, it can have a serious impact on both individuals and businesses. According to the Health and Safety Executive, 964,000 workers in Great Britain were suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25. That makes stress one of the largest causes of work-related ill health.
What is Work-Related Stress?
The HSE defines stress as:
‘The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or demands.’
It’s important to understand:
- Pressure can be positive
- Stress occurs when pressure becomes too much to cope with
Why This Matters
- Around 40.1 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health and injury in 2024/25
- Of these, 22.1 million days were due to stress, depression or anxiety alone
- In wider studies, 74% of UK adults report feeling overwhelmed by stress at some point
This shows stress is not a “nice to have” issue – it is a core business risk.
For further details on the statistics, please click here.
Common Causes of Stress at Work
The HSE highlights six key areas:
- Demands (workload, deadlines)
- Control (how work is done)
- Support (from managers/colleagues)
- Relationships (conflict, behaviour)
- Role (clarity of responsibilities)
- Change (how it is managed)
What Should Employers Be Doing?
- Risk Assessment
- Stress should be included in your risk assessments, just like any other hazard.
- Communication
- Encourage open conversations
- Check in regularly
- Make it safe to speak up
- Management Awareness
- Managers should be able to:
- Recognise signs of stress
- Respond appropriately
- Managers should be able to:
- Training & Awareness
- Basic awareness helps employees:
- Understand stress
- Recognise early warning signs
- Seek support
- Basic awareness helps employees:
- Quick Check
- Have you assessed stress risks?
- Would staff feel comfortable raising concerns?
- Are managers equipped to deal with it?
Click here to see the HSE guidance on work-related stress.
Stress is one of the biggest workplace health risks today. Small, practical steps can make a significant difference to both wellbeing and performance. If you need help managing this in your business, remember we are here to help.