Understanding and Tackling Work‑Related Stress, Depression & Anxiety

In today’s fast‑paced workplaces, mental health at work is one of the most important, yet often underrecognised, health and safety challenges employers face. Conditions such as work‑related stress, depression and anxiety don’t just affect individuals’ wellbeing; they also have profound impacts on productivity, performance and long‑term organisational resilience.

Why This Matters: The Latest UK Stats

According to the latest figures from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), work‑related mental health conditions continue to be the largest single cause of work‑related ill health:

• An estimated 1.9 million working people suffered from work‑related ill health in 2024/25.

• Of these, 964,000 cases were due to stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by work – more than half of all reported ill‑health cases.

• These conditions contributed to an estimated 22.1 million working days lost in 2024/25 alone, reflecting the scale of impact on both employees and employers.

These figures show that not only is work‑related stress a major cause of sickness absence, they are also a growing problem that requires proactive management.

Work‑related stress frequently stems from factors such as:

• Excessive workload and unrealistic deadlines

• Lack of control over work

• Poor support from managers

• Unclear roles or organisational change

• Relationship or communication issues within teams

If these psychosocial hazards aren’t addressed, they can escalate into more serious depression and anxiety for individuals

Legal Duty of Employers

Under UK law, preventing harm from work‑related stress isn’t just best practice – it’s a legal requirement.
Employers must identify, assess and manage the risks associated with stress just as they do for physical hazards. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 make this clear: reasonable steps must be taken to prevent harm, including from psychosocial risks.

Why Work Related Stress Happens

Stress isn’t a personal weakness. It’s a response to workplace demands that exceed an individual’s ability to cope. Pressure becomes harmful when it is persistent and unmanaged. Evidence shows that the pressures employees face day‑to‑day are often organisational in nature, linked to workload, unused skills, poor communication, and limited autonomy.

How Mantra Safety Limited Can Help

At Mantra Safety Limited, we help companies go beyond compliance to build mentally healthier workplaces. Here’s how we support employers:

1. Stress Risk Assessments

We conduct robust, practical stress risk assessments to identify the real causes of stress in your business. This isn’t just a tick box exercise; our assessments uncover root causes so tailored actions can be taken.

2. Training & Awareness

Training managers and staff on recognising early signs of stress, depression and anxiety is vital. We offer online training aligned with HSE guidance to improve awareness and support across all levels of your company.

3. Policy & Procedure Development

We help you build or update policies and procedures that:

• Support psychological wellbeing

• Embed supportive line management behaviours

• Create clear, accessible routes for staff to raise concerns

4. Ongoing Monitoring & Review

Workforce health isn’t static. Our services include structured review plans so controls stay effective, adapt to change, and feed into your broader safety and wellbeing strategy.

Legal Risks & Cases: Why Tackling Work‑Related Stress, Depression & Anxiety Matters

Walker v Northumberland County Council (1995)

• One of the landmark cases establishing employer liability for stress‑related psychiatric injury.

• Estimated total cost to the employer was over £400,000, including £175,000 in damages and additional trial costs/sick pay/ill‑health pension.

Major tribunal award (£4.6 million)

• In an extremely high‑value case involving PTSD and disability discrimination, an employment tribunal awarded £4,580,577.39 — one of the highest compensation awards of its kind in the UK.

Stress‑at‑work settlement (£210,000)

• A receptionist with documented workplace stress, anxiety and depression received a £210,000 settlement after the employer failed to manage excessive workload and lack of support.

Royal Mail panic attack case

• A delivery driver was awarded £4,000 for injury to feelings after work changes caused anxiety and a panic attack, plus an additional £2,125 for unlawful pay deductions.

Taking the Next Step

Managing work related stress is not just about reducing sickness absence figures; it is about creating a workplace culture where people feel safe, valued and able to thrive.

At Mantra Safety Limited, we’re here to help you meet your legal duties, enhance employee wellbeing, and improve business performance through better mental health risk management.

Contact us today to find out how we can support your company's wellbeing strategy.