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Stress

Tackling Workplace Stress: A Strategic Priority for Sustainable Performance

Workplace stress is more than an individual wellbeing issue, it is a critical organisational risk. Unmanaged stress directly impacts productivity, staff retention, and legal compliance. At a time when burnout and mental ill-health are on the rise across UK sectors, it has never been more important for employers to take proactive, evidence-based action.

Why It Matters

  • 17.1 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2022/23, accounting for over 50% of all work-related ill health cases in Great Britain (HSE, 2023).

  • Stress-related absences cost UK employers an estimated £28.3 billion per year in lost productivity, presenteeism, and turnover (Deloitte, 2022).

  • 1 in 6 workers experience mental health problems at any given time, with workload and poor organisational culture among the leading causes (Mind, 2023).

Beyond the financial cost, stress undermines performance, fuels conflict, and drives disengagement.

Legal and Ethical Responsibility

Employers in the UK have a statutory duty to assess and manage risks to health and safety at work, including psychological hazards such as stress. Under the:

  • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must protect employees from foreseeable harm, including mental health risks.
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are required to conduct suitable and sufficient stress risk assessments.
  • Equality Act 2010, failure to accommodate stress-related or mental health conditions linked to disability can constitute unlawful discrimination.

Failure to act on workplace stress is not only costly, it can also lead to reputational, legal, and regulatory consequences.

How I Can Help

Stress management is not a stand-alone service: it’s integrated into everything I do. I help organisations reduce stress and enhance performance by embedding it into three key pillars:

  • Policy Development: I work with organisations to design or revise workplace policies that address systemic drivers of stress, from workload management and working conditions, to flexible work, neurodiversity, and mental health support. All policies are aligned with legal duties and best-practice guidance (e.g. HSE Management Standards, Acas, and EHRC).
  • Workplace Training: I deliver tailored training for managers and teams, building awareness of stress indicators, promoting early intervention, and equipping staff with tools for resilience and self-regulation. This includes specialised sessions on stress and neurodiversity, psychological safety, and line management responsibilities.
  • Individual Coaching: I provide 1:1 coaching for staff experiencing stress, helping them develop practical strategies for managing pressure, regaining confidence, and navigating workplace challenges, with a particular focus on neuroinclusive approaches.

A Whole-System Approach

Stress is rarely just about the individual. It reflects systems, cultures, and expectations. My consultancy takes a whole-system approach; combining policy, leadership, and support, to build healthier, more inclusive and higher-performing workplaces.