30/03/2026
Health and Safety Executive:
Work-related stress: are you managing the risk?
In 2024/25, 964,000 workers reported stress, depression, or anxiety caused or made worse by work.
Work-related stress is preventable, and employers have a legal duty to assess and manage the risk.
HSE’s Management Standards give you a practical framework to tackle the main causes of stress at work.
Six areas to check
Poor management in any of these areas can harm health, reduce productivity, and increase sickness absence:
demands – workload, work patterns, and the working environment
control – how much say workers have in the way they do their work
support – resources and encouragement from managers and colleagues
relationships – fostering positive working and tackling unacceptable behaviour
role – clarity of responsibilities
change – managing and communicating organisational change effectively
Spot risks early and take action to protect your workforce.
Take action now
Free guidance and tools can help you apply the Management Standards:
understand the impact of work-related stress
start the free Working Minds module today
Act now – prevent work-related stress and safeguard your workers.
Coming up: Stress Awareness Month –
April is Stress Awareness Month. Through the Working Minds campaign, we’re calling on employers to : prevent work-related stress, protect workers’ health, and support productive workplaces.
Our focus next month:
applying the 5 Rs framework – Reach out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, make it Routine. Download our poster 'The 5Rs'
checking your Management Standards – review the 6 areas of work design
using free tools and guidance – start conversations and take action
