April marks Stress Awareness Month, and in 2025 the theme is #LeadWithLove – the aim of the 2025 theme is to empower you to approach yourself and others with kindness, compassion and acceptance, no matter the challenges you face.
Stress is defined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’. It affects individuals in different ways, but has a significant impact on productivity and attendance at work. During the 23/24 year, stress, depression or anxiety resulted in 16.4 million working days lost (the biggest cause of absence).
On average, each person who was absent with stress took over 21 days off – a significant impact on many organisations.
Across the wider population (not just working aged adults), 74% of individuals reported to feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope when suffering with stress.
Women in the UK report to feeling stressed for approximately 10 days per month, with men experiencing on average 7 days per month of stress. 74% of women, and 61% of men attribute their stress to their work.
Stress symptoms can range from burnout, feelings of being unable to cope, physical symptoms (heart disease, back pain, digestive conditions and skin conditions), through to suicidal feelings (35% of women and 29% of men have experienced suicidal feelings as a result of stress).
How can you manage stress in the workplace?
Stress can be caused by many factors both work related, and non-work related.
Non-work-related factors may include job loss, redundancy, divorce, moving house, bereavement, menopause, financial worries, and other personal issues.
Stress at work, can be attributed to various aspects of the role, but is often linked to:
- too many or conflicting demands
- poor working conditions
- little control over how and when work is done or decision making
- lack of support or encouragement from managers and others at work
- bullying and conflict at work, particularly if these are not managed well
- not having enough training or skills to do a job
- feeling unclear about roles and responsibilities
- low trust and not feeling able to speak up about concerns
- change within the organisation
As managers, you may notice signs of stress in your teams, which could include things such as loss of concentration, finding it hard to make decisions, low mood, tiredness or lack of energy, lack of enthusiasm, short-temperedness, or lack of involvement in team / social events or conversations.
Initially, you should have an informal chat with the individual.
- Explain that you are concerned about them, and what you have noticed
- Ask if they are ok
- Ask if they need any support, or would like to talk about anything
- Signpost to professional agencies / services if required
- Identify any support you can provide at work, you may want to complete a risk assessment or action plan
- Follow up on any actions agreed and remain available for support
Failure to deal with issues and adopt a pro-active approach can result in the situation escalating, which may lead to issues including absence, poor performance, or more severe symptoms.
If you require any support managing stress within your workplaces, please contact us on team@hrprime.co.uk
