Is Work-related Stress on the Rise in Britain?

UK unemployment is up, the number of people categorised as long-term sick has hit its highest level in six months and the number of working age adults leaving the workforce has hit a post-pandemic high.

And, with data compiled from our in-depth, cross-sector employee engagement surveys suggesting that more workers are feeling stressed or anxious at work and a growing number feeling that their wellbeing isn’t being supported by their employer, the pressure is on for employers to ensure that enough is being done to safeguard employees’ mental health.

So, with stress levels rising at workplaces across the nation, we’ve crunched the numbers to summarise some of the key data to be aware of, as well as sharing some advice for employers on how to avoid an employment crisis.

Related: How to beat the back to work blues

What do the numbers say?

Our data revealed that nearly half of British workers say that they regularly feel stressed or anxious at work, with 1 in 3 saying that their workload is unmanageable – an increase of 7% compared with the previous year.

34% of workers felt that their employer doesn’t do enough to support their mental health or wellbeing in the workplace. This comes in addition to figures released as part of our latest Trends Report, which suggested a sharp decline in the levels of confidence employees have in their bosses, with just 58% of employees feeling listened to – down from 66% in 2022.

Why are we feeling more stressed?

As Kate Pritchard (Head of Consultancy at People Insight) explains, the uncertainty created by the pandemic coupled with changes not only to our approach to work, but how and where we work has created seismic shifts.

“It may have been the buzzword during the pandemic, but the experiences we all had at that time and in the years following have been truly unprecedented,” Kate said. “We have lived through years of uncertainty, navigating largely unknown territory and, as a result, there have been seismic shifts.

Not only that but with a large proportion of the British workforce making the switch to working from home, which has continued in varying degrees, we’ve also seen a blurring of the lines between work and home life. With the transition between work and home no longer as simple as walking out of the office, it’s become much more difficult for people to properly switch off,” Kate says.

Rising expectations

“As these figures show, this is about more than the remote working vs. return to the office debate. We’ve seen a shift in the way that employees view work and the impact that it has on their mental health, their wellbeing, and their personal lives.

Employees’ expectations have undeniably risen since the pandemic. Mental health remains a top priority for employees trying to maintain a work life balance and with nearly 20% of our waking hours spent at work, there is an expectation that our employers have an important role to play in safeguarding that,” Kate explains.

What should employers focus on?

Work-related stress can have a huge impact on everything from productivity to business revenue and with rising numbers of employees being signed off work for things like stress and burnout, it’s crucial that employers take the opportunity to properly connect with their staff to fully understand and address potential issues as they arise.

“The fact remains that as our data has shown, more staff are experiencing stress in the workplace whether that’s through a perceived lack of support or through unmanageable workloads,” says Kate.

“This is where thorough, detailed and regular employee insights are a vital tool for employers to not only connect with their staff but to better understand and address the pinch points that can often be the deciding factor in an employee’s decision to resign.”

And, as Kate explains, connected leadership and a focus on psychological safety is key in positively shaping the employee experience.

“There are a host of factors that can impact employee experience but the core should always be leadership. We saw many great examples of organisational leadership during Covid, we need to get back to those same levels of connection, communication, and fairness.”

What can we do today?

Incorporating regular ‘health checks’ into your overall employee engagement strategy and utilising insight tools like staff surveys not only ensures that leaders stay connected with their staff but offers data backed insights to identify potential issues before they arise.

And, if you don’t know where to start, our team of employee engagement experts can guide you through the whole process, with our THRIVE methodology offering the opportunity to better understand and safeguard your workforce’s mental and emotional health.

So, while managing the stress levels of your workforce can feel like a balancing act, communication and connection from the top are key in ensuring that your staff not only feel comfortable raising potential concerns, but in cultivating a company culture that truly works for everyone.