Stress Awareness Month: Rethinking workplace stress
Workplace stress has long been viewed as a personal issue; something individuals are expected to manage, often with the support of HR-led wellbeing initiatives, resilience training, or occasional awareness campaigns. While these efforts are important, they can unintentionally reinforce an outdated idea: that stress is an individual problem rather than a reflection of how work itself is designed and led.
It’s not that organisations don’t know stress is a problem. It’s more often treated as something separate from the day-to-day running of the business, rather than something that should sit right at the heart of how it operates.
The reality is, when employee stress becomes chronic or systemic, it can shape how people think, collaborate, innovate, and ultimately whether they stay or leave. Yet in many organisations, managing stress still sits outside their people strategy, addressed reactively rather than proactively.
Why stress is a business risk
A recent TUC survey found record levels of work-related stress across our workplaces. It’s now the top concern in every region and almost every sector, with particularly high levels reported in central government (80%), local government (66%), health (68%), education (74%) and the voluntary sector (71%).
Across the UK, stress, depression and anxiety were also the leading causes of work-related ill health in 2024/25, accounting for 22.1 million lost working days, with 7.1 million people taking time off as a result.
These figures make it clear that stress isn’t simply about personal resilience or individual coping skills. In many cases, it’s shaped by the environment people are working in – things like unmanageable workloads, unclear expectations, poor communication, and roles or processes that don’t quite flow. Add to that cultures that reward being constantly “on” rather than being productive, and it becomes even harder for people to switch off and recover.
When those underlying issues aren’t addressed, even the most resilient people will start to feel the strain. No amount of mindfulness or wellbeing support can make up for a system that isn’t working properly. If the root causes stay the same, the stress will too.
A leadership responsibility, not just an HR one
When addressing workplace stress, leadership becomes critical. It starts with a mindset shift: recognising that how work is structured and led has a direct impact on how people feel and perform. When stress is acknowledged as a strategic issue, on par with other operational issues, change can happen.
While organisational change is essential, your team leaders and managers play a powerful role in shaping day-to-day experiences. Small, consistent actions at this level can significantly reduce employee stress and improve their wellbeing:
Make workload visible and manageable: Encourage open conversations about capacity. If everything is a priority, nothing is. Help your team focus on what matters most and be willing to adjust expectations when needed.
Normalise conversations about stress: Create an environment where people feel safe to speak openly about how they’re coping. This doesn’t mean having all the answers—it means listening without judgment and responding with empathy.
Model healthy behaviours: Leaders set the cultural tone. Taking breaks, setting boundaries, and avoiding unnecessary out-of-hours communication sends a powerful message that wellbeing is genuinely valued.
Focus on outcomes, not presentee-ism: Reward effectiveness, not just visibility. Trust your team to deliver results without needing to be constantly “on.”
Build in recovery, not just performance: High performance is not sustainable without recovery. Encourage time off, protect focus time, and recognise that rest is not a reward, it’s an absolute necessity.
Stay connected: A quick check-in that goes beyond tasks can make a significant difference. Feeling seen and supported is one of the strongest buffers against stress.
Ultimately, reducing workplace stress isn’t just about protecting people; it’s about enabling them to do their best work. That is always in your organisation’s interest.
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