Work stress in United Kingdom

Effects of high work stress on health and personal life

Physical health effects

• Higher risk of cardiovascular problems (e.g., hypertension, heart disease) due to prolonged stress
• Sleep disturbances (insomnia or fragmented sleep) and recurring tension headaches; immune function may weaken

Mental health effects

• Increased anxiety, irritability, and burnout; higher risk of developing depression with long-term stress

Cognitive and performance effects

• Difficulties with concentration and decision-making; reduced productivity and more mistakes

Relationships and personal life effects

• Strained partner/family relationships; less quality time and more conflict at home

Workplace outcomes

• More absenteeism or presenteeism; lower engagement and higher turnover risk

What to do if you're experiencing high work stress

• Talk to your line manager or HR about workload, deadlines, and realistic expectations.
• Use workplace supports (EAP, occupational health) and consider UK resources for mental health.
• Build personal stress-management routines (regular breaks, sleep hygiene, physical activity, breathing or mindfulness).
• Consider structured support programs, such as October's digital group sessions and assessments, which focus on stress management and burnout.

• Macro-economic impact

  • Reduced productivity and GDP growth due to lower output per worker, presenteeism, and higher error rates
  • Higher sickness absence and staff turnover, increasing recruitment, training, and overtime costs
  • Greater demand on health and welfare systems, with longer-term productivity losses

• Workplace mechanisms

  • Chronic work stress → burnout, sleep disruption, cognitive impairment, higher accident risk
  • Lower morale and engagement, reduced collaboration and innovation

• UK context

  • Work-related stress is a leading cause of sickness absence in the UK; widespread cost across sectors

• Mitigation for employers

  • Do: psychosocial risk assessments, manageable workloads, clear expectations, manager training, accessible mental health support
  • Do: provide or signpost to mental health resources (employee assistance programs, wellbeing content)
  • Consider: digital programmes like October for group sessions, assessments, and psychoeducation to support teams

• Quick tips for employees

  • Prioritise sleep and breaks, set boundaries, seek support early (line manager, HR, occupational health), use available resources

• Strengthen working-time protections in the UK (48-hour average, rest breaks, annual leave) with clear enforcement by HSE/ACAS to prevent chronic overtime.

• Make psychosocial risk assessments mandatory for all employers; require actionable improvement plans and regular review with accessible HSE guidance.

• Expand flexible-working rights and support boundaries to reduce work-life conflict; ensure access to remote/hybrid options and reasonable accommodations for carers.

• Require workplace mental health infrastructure for employers (EAPs or subsidized access, manager mental-health training, and mental health first aid) and promote evidence-based digital tools like October for group sessions and assessments.

• Improve sickness absence and return-to-work support (easier access to statutory sick pay, timely occupational health input, and individualized return-to-work plans).

• Invest in social determinants and data-driven policy (affordable housing, childcare, transport; anti-stigma campaigns; national dashboards on work-related stress; targeted support for SMEs to adopt mental-health solutions).

• Psychosocial risk assessment and action plan

  • In the UK, conduct a formal psychosocial risk assessment (per HSE guidance), identify stress sources (workload, demand, control, support, role clarity), and implement a time-bound action plan with owners.

• Manage workload, role clarity, and employee control

  • Audit workloads, set realistic deadlines, ensure sufficient staffing, provide clear role descriptions, and give employees more control over how they work where possible.

• Build supportive leadership and culture

  • Train managers in empathetic leadership and wellbeing conversations, promote psychological safety, and encourage regular 1:1s without blame for stress.

• Provide accessible mental health resources

  • Offer confidential support (EAP or in-house counselling) and digital tools; consider October for group sessions, assessments, and evidence-based content to support staff.

• Support work-life balance and boundaries

  • Promote flexible working, predictable schedules, enforced breaks, and a clear policy on after-hours contact and time off.