Take Action this Stress Awareness Month – Prevent Work-Related Stress

HSE’s Working Minds campaign is encouraging employers across Great Britain to #BeTheChange by taking proactive steps to prevent stress, protect workers’ health, and improve productivity.

Stress at work is preventable, and as an employer, you have a legal duty to manage these risks. With the right approach, you can create a healthier, more productive workplace, benefiting both your employees and your organisation.

Why it matters

In 2024/25, 964,000 workers reported stress, depression, or anxiety caused or worsened by work. That’s nearly 1 million people affected by something that is entirely preventable.

The costs of work-related stress are staggering:

• 22.1 million working days were lost due to stress
• 50% of all work-related ill health is linked to stress

These statistics highlight the urgent need for action. Early intervention can protect your team’s health, improve productivity, and ensure your organisation’s long-term resilience.

Your legal duty

As an employer, you are legally obligated to protect workers from stress at work. Here’s what you need to do:

• Assess risks and identify vulnerable workers
• Reduce or eliminate stress risks where possible
• Manage stress proactively, just as you would with other health and safety risks

Failure to manage stress risks could result in enforcement action. The time to act is now.

What you can do this month

Stress Awareness Month is the perfect time to start making a change. Here’s how:

• Adopt the 5Rs Framework: Reach Out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, and Make it Routine. This framework integrates stress prevention into your daily management practices.
• Review HSE Management Standards: Assess key areas in your stress risk assessment, including demands, control, support, relationships, role, and change.
• Access resources and support: Get free tools like the Stress Talking Toolkit and online learning modules to facilitate conversations and drive immediate action.

Get started with the support of tools and templates: Working Minds Resources

Take action today

Use Stress Awareness Month as a call to action. Here’s how you can get started immediately:

• Update your stress risk assessment by the end of this month
• Ensure managers are confident in addressing stress in their teams
• Review workloads, support systems, and organisational changes

These actions will help reduce absenteeism, improve employee mental health, and foster a stronger, more resilient organisation.

Join the conversation

Stay connected and share the Working Minds message:

• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Facebook
• X

Encourage others to #BeTheChange and take action this month.

Be the change today

Embed stress management in your workplace culture. By taking these simple, practical steps today, you can prevent work-related stress, improve your employees’ well-being, and ensure a stronger, healthier workplace for the future.

Together, we can make a real, meaningful difference.

Visit the Working Minds website for more information: www.workright.campaign.gov.uk/working-minds/