HSE's latest statistics for work-related ill health and injury show that around half of reported ill health is related to stress, depression or anxiety.

An estimated 776,000 cases of ill stress-related ill health occur each year, with each case taking an average of 21.1 days off work.

Work-related stress and poor mental health risk becoming a health and safety crisis for the UK’s workplaces.
Last year, more than 17 million working days were lost as a result of stress, anxiety or depression. Two in five employees’ mental health worsened during the pandemic, and yet mental health is still stigmatised, especially in the workplace.

Work-related stress and poor mental health should be treated with the same significance as poor physical health and injury. In terms of the effect it has on workers, significant and long-term stress can limit performance and impact personal lives. No worker should suffer in silence and if we don’t act now to improve workers’ mental health, this could evolve into a health and safety crisis.

Costs to businesses
In 2024, the median gross annual earnings for full-time employees in the UK were £37,430, equating to approximately £720 per week.

If an employee takes 21 days of sick leave, this corresponds to three weeks. Assuming the employer provides full pay during sick leave, the direct cost in terms of wages would be £2,160 (£720 per week × 3 weeks).
However, many employers adhere to the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) scheme, which, as of the latest available data, provides £116.75 per week for up to 28 weeks.

Under SSP, the direct wage cost for 21 days (three weeks) of sick leave would be £350.25 (£116.75 per week × 3 weeks).

Beyond direct wage costs, businesses often incur indirect costs due to employee absence. These can include decreased productivity, the need for temporary staff or overtime payments to cover the absent employee's duties, and potential impacts on team efficiency and morale. A study highlighted that staff absences can cost employers between 2% to 16% of their total payroll annually.

Therefore, while the direct wage cost of a 21-day sick leave period can range from £350.25 (under SSP) to £2,160 (full pay), the total cost to the business may be higher when accounting for these indirect factors.

Increasingly, it is being recognised that employers have a duty, in many cases in law, to ensure that employees do not become ill. It is also in their long-term economic interests to prevent stress, as stress is likely to lead to high staff turnover, an increase in sickness absence and early retirement, increased stress in those staff still at work, reduced work performance and increased rate of accidents, and reduced client satisfaction.

Start the year off right
No matter where you work, the law requires all employers to prevent work-related stress and support good mental health in the workplace. That means including stress in risk assessments and acting on it. The HSE recommends the following:

• Download HSE's Working Minds campaign calendar 2025
• Put time in the diary to get started or review what’s in place
• Download a risk assessment template and see examples

How to prevent stress in five steps
HSE's free online learning will guide you step-by-step and provides all the tools, templates and information you need to get proactive on preventing stress and supporting good mental health at work.

• Reach out and have conversations - see the Talking Toolkit for help
• Recognise the signs and causes of stress - the Stress Indicator Tool could be useful
• Respond to any risks you’ve identified
• Reflect on actions you’ve agreed and taken
• Make it Routine - how can you make this part of your every day?

International Workplace's Stress in the Workplace Guide looks at what managers can do to prevent stress in the workplace. Take a look here.