The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its 2023/24 annual statistics, shedding light on a concerning rise in work-related stress, depression, and anxiety across the UK workforce. These findings reveal the significant impact of mental health issues on workers, businesses and the economy.
Key Findings
- Prevalence: In 2023/24, around 776,000 workers reported work-related stress, depression, or anxiety, with a rate of 2,290 cases per 100,000 workers. This shows a significant increase from previous years.
- Impact on productivity: These conditions led to the loss of 16.4 million working days, with an average of 21.1 days lost per case, highlighting the significant impact of mental health issues on productivity.
- Sector trends: The public administration, education, and health sectors reported the highest rates of work-related mental health issues.
- Occupational patterns: Professional jobs also had higher rates of stress, depression, and anxiety, suggesting a link between job complexity and mental health.
- Causes: Common causes of work-related mental health problems were high workloads, tight deadlines, too many responsibilities, and lack of support from managers.
Wider Implications
The increase in work-related mental health issues highlights problems in workplace management and culture. The HSE’s findings stress the need to prioritise employee well-being to reduce absenteeism, improve retention, and create a healthier work environment.
Employer Responsibilities
The HSE stresses that employers must act to address this issue. Suggested actions include:
- Workload management: Making sure employees have manageable workloads and fair deadlines.
- Training managers: Helping managers spot stress early and offer support.
- Creating supportive environments: Encouraging talks about mental health and providing resources like employee assistance programs (EAPs).
Call to Action
The report urges employers to prioritise mental health, as neglecting workplace stress can result in lower morale, reduced productivity, and potential legal issues.
As mental health gains global attention, the rise in work-related stress in Great Britain highlights the need for change. Employers must act quickly, as supporting well-being is crucial to business success.
