Stress Awareness Month 2026: Managing stress for leaders and colleagues.

Work-related stress is now one of the most significant pressures facing UK organisations today. It has a direct impact on operational performance, can but an organisation at risk of breaching legislative compliance and severely dampen workforce engagement and productivity. It has been found that millions of working days are lost each year due to stress related issues in accordance with rising evidence that people across all sectors are experiencing higher levels of pressure than ever before. Organisations and their leadership teams can no longer treat stress management as an optional wellbeing policy. It is now a core responsibility with direct impact on cost, culture and legal compliance.

Stress Awareness Month presents organisations and their leadership teams the perfect opportunity to review their wellbeing policies and to consider the impact stress may not only be having on their people, but how this is translating to higher absences and costs.

What is stress?

Stress is a natural human response to pressure. It happens to everyone, individuals and leadership teams alike. However, it can become a risk for organisations when considered in a workplace capacity. When pressures exceed a person’s capacity to cope, work-related stress can arise. This may be due to workplace demands, expectations, workloads, uncertainty, or conflicting expectations. Each element can place mental strain on an individual that affects their ability to perform their role safely and effectively.

While stress presents differently for each person, its consequences for organisations are consistent and measurable. It has been found that 91% of UK adults reported experiencing high or extreme stress at some point over the past year, resulting in 1 in 5 people reporting a mental health related workplace absence brought on by stress. The issue of workplace stress has become a widespread and persistent one with the pressures directly impacting organisational performance.

For organisations, unmanaged stress results in:

• Reduced clarity, decision-making and performance

• Higher rates of errors and conflict

• Increased sickness absence

• Low workforce engagement and retention

• Greater need for HR and leadership team intervention

• Higher risk of workforce disputes, claims of an unsafe organisational culture or legal breaches

Understanding stress is a necessary step for organisations to meeting their legal duty of care to provide a safe working environment, as required under UK legislation. Many leadership teams understand this but fail to deliver on the necessary changes. This is due to a lack of expertise and support as it has been found that nearly 1 in 3 organisational leadership teams do not have time, training or resources to support their people.

Why leadership team responsibilities matter for stress prevention

It has been found that more than 22 million working days were lost due to stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25. This worrying trend only seems to be worsening as it is estimated that 3 million working days have been lost to poor mental health, including stress, within the first 2 months of 2026. This is in combination with the fact that poor mental health is now the single biggest driver of lost productivity and operational disruption across the UK. This can be correlated alongside the fact that stress stands as a leading cause of presenteeism and that declining mental health now stands as the leading cause of long-term absence and second for short-term absences.

For organisational HR and leadership teams, this trend creates a clear pressure point:

Unmanaged stress leads directly to increased absence rates, lower operational output, reduced individual performance, decreased organisational engagement, higher workforce turnover and increased risk of legislative breaches. Without effective policies and support systems in place, leadership teams may lack the knowledge, capability confidence or capacity to manage issues of stress and poor mental health effectively.

Lost productivity due to stress-related absences continues to climb, and organisations are seeing a growing negative financial impact from repeated absence, presenteeism, and downturns in productivity due to a lack of organisational engagement. This issue is especially prevalent among younger professionals. It is reported 2 in 5 people between 18-24 experiencing high or extreme stress regularly. If this trend continues, it could have a hugely negative impact and effect on future workforces and organisational success across all sectors. It is for this very reason that organisations must move away from ad-hoc wellbeing initiatives and instead adopt structured, legally compliant stress prevention systems which are woven into day-to-day operations. This requires more than reactive support alone. Proactive, clinically led and approved solutions protect individuals from high-stress levels while reducing costs and cultivating a culture of long-term workforce resilience and support.

With all of this considered, what purpose does Stress Awareness Month serve the success of your organisation and how does it benefit workforces to in-turn improve productivity and engagement?

Stress Awareness Month

Stress Awareness Month is observed annually every April and has been traditionally viewed as a token wellbeing awareness campaign. If it is observed and celebrated as tick box exercise, then in reality, it will serve no true purpose. However, in a modern context and when fully committed to, it can serve a more strategic purpose for HR and leadership teams. The month provides an annual checkpoint for organisations to:

• Review their approach to stress risk management

• Reassess workforce pressures, expectations and capacity

• Strengthen leadership capability and stress management training

• Evaluate whether existing controls are effective

• Refresh internal communications and signposting

• Ensure stress risk assessments are organised and conducted regularly

Organisations should use Stress Awareness Month as a moment to pause and examine whether stress management measures, leadership capability and individual workloads and responsibilities are implemented effectively to ensure greater productivity. Failing to do so can signal an emerging talent retention risk if preventative measures are not prioritised.

When used strategically, Stress Awareness Month becomes more than an awareness campaign. It can be utilised an annual compliance prompt to strengthen organisational wellbeing procedures to reduce the risk of legal breaches and builds a healthier, more resilient workforce.

UK law on workplace stress

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, stress is a recognised workplace hazard. Organisations must take practicable steps to prevent harm that may come from work-related stress or pressure, just as they would for any physical risk. This includes regular assessments of the impacts of stress, prevention measures and policy. It is not simply an optional preventative measure to conduct risk assessments, it is a legal requirement for organisations.

As has been mentioned, the need to prevent and manage workplace stress effectively is grounded in core legislation and requires organisational HR and leadership teams to assess and manage risks that could cause physical or psychological harm. It has been found that work-related stress, which now accounts for around 964,000 cases of workplace sickness absence, each case resulting in an average of just under 23 working days lost per person on average in 2025.

The impact of stress cannot be undermined, but the legal repercussions can also be massive. It could lead to workforce disputes and claims, reputational damage, unlimited fines and even criminal prosecution.

In addition to existing health and safety duties, the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces changes that further increase organisational responsibility when managing stress related absence and supporting employees effectively. The Act reforms Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) by removing the Lower Earnings Limit.

This means that all individuals in an organisation’s workforce, including the lowest-paid or on irregular hours, will now qualify for SSP. It also removes the three-day waiting period, meaning SSP becomes payable from the first full day of sickness absence, rather than the fourth.

These reforms have major implications for organisations managing stress related absences. For example:

• Individuals experiencing acute stress, anxiety or burnout will now receive financial support from day one of their absence, increasing the cost of workplace absences.

• Organisations may see a rise in short-term absence as barriers to claiming SSP are reduced, increasing the need for robust attendance management and early intervention processes.

• HR teams must ensure sick pay policies, payroll rules and absence management frameworks are updated ahead of the April 2026 commencement date.

Importantly, earlier eligibility for SSP also means organisations must act more quickly when stress related cases arise, as absences will now have immediate statutory implications. Combined with the rise in stress related ill health across the UK, this reinforces the need for preventative action, timely support and clear documentation.

With this in mind, it is vital that organisations and their leadership teams abide by legislative regulations. In practice, adhering to this legal duty involves:

• Identifying sources of harmful workplace stress within role responsibilities, workloads, leadership capabilities and environment

• Consulting with individuals within the workforce on stress risks affecting their wellbeing

• Ensuring leadership teams are equipped to recognise the early indicators of stress

• Taking action to remove or reduce stress risks before harm or stress-related/mental health-related absences occur

• Monitoring trends such as absence, turnover and workforce feedback

Current guidance also recognises that organisations must act swiftly when individuals present stressrelated concerns, ensuring early support, clear communication and robust processes. Therefore, legal compliance isn’t simply a legal safeguard, it is a strategic requirement.

What organisations need to do

Organisations need a proactive, structured approach to managing work-related stress — one that protects employees, strengthens leadership capability, and reduces operational disruption.

1. Conduct and maintain a stress risk assessment

Every organisation must ensure stress is included within its health and safety risk assessments. This involves identifying triggers such as workload management, unclear role demands, leadership training, or strained working relationships. National regulators encourage organisations to regularly review these assessments and ensure controls remain effective.

2. Put clear controls and adjustments in place

Once risks are identified, organisations must act. This may include redesigning workloads, setting clearer role expectations, improving resourcing, or agreeing temporary adjustments for individuals experiencing stress-related symptoms.

3. Strengthen leadership training and stress management capabilities

Leadership teams are often the first to recognise changes in behaviour, performance or wellbeing. However, many lack the confidence to manage sensitive situations effectively. Training HR and leadership teams in early identification, mentally safe wellbeing conversations, and consistent processes are critical to reducing risk.

4. Encourage open dialogue

Workplaces where people feel unable to speak openly about pressure or overwhelm face higher levels of presenteeism and more severe cases of stress. Ensuring structured, supportive conversation are held using wellbeing tools and regular check-ins can be integrated as a part of standard leadership practice to cultivate a culture of openness and support.

5. Offer rapid access to credible support

When individuals are struggling with stress or declining mental wellbeing, timely intervention is essential. Organisations benefit from clinically led services that provide fast access to expert support, helping individuals maintain a positive level of mental wellbeing or return to stability quicker to reduce the amount and length of absences.

Common compliance gaps

Even well-intentioned organisations often fall short in several key areas. The gap between workforce pressures and organisational response is widening. The most common gaps include:

1. Inconsistent leadership responses

Without clear training and frameworks, manager capability varies widely. This increases organisational risk, particularly when pressure escalates into absence, conflict or formal complaints.

2. Short-term workforce wellbeing strategies

While wellbeing initiatives can be helpful, they are not a substitute for structured, preventative risk management and consistent wellbeing strategies. The number of stress-related absences continue to rise, highlighting that reactive approaches are no longer sufficient and that consistent, reliable strategies and reviews are the way forward.

3. Lack of monitoring or individual follow-up

Organisations often fail to track patterns across absence, turnover, employee feedback or performance indicators. Without data, leaders cannot spot early warning signs or adjust controls effectively.

4. Limited access to clinical or specialist support

Many organisations rely on informal conversations or internal processes alone. Without clinical guidance, complex cases can escalate, increasing both legal risk and workforce productivity rates.

Practical steps for SMEs

SMEs often face the greatest pressure when it comes to managing work-related stress. Smaller teams have limited internal operational capacity in an incredibly fast-paced environment. This means that early intervention, clear processes and strong leadership capability become even more important. Fortunately, the most effective actions are often simple, structured and repeatable.

1. Build stress into your risk assessments

Stress must be included within your organisation’s risk assessment process to highlight the importance of early identification and reduce the amount of workforce stress and related absences. In SMEs, this may involve reviewing workloads, clarity of roles, resourcing decisions and working patterns. When done well, this step gives leaders visibility and removes assumptions.

2. Strengthen manager capability and confidence

Leadership teams are the first line of defence in preventing stress. Yet many feel unequipped to navigate early warning signs or sensitive wellbeing conversations. Training them to recognise behavioural changes, initiate supportive dialogue and escalate concerns safely helps reduce risk and strengthen team culture. This is especially important given the rise in stress-related absence, with younger professionals increasingly needing time away due to pressure.

When to bring in external support

While internal processes are essential, there are key moments when external expertise becomes critical to protect compliance, culture and operational continuity. Organisations should consider external support when:

1. Stress-related absence is increasing

If your organisation sees a rise in stress, anxiety or burnout-related absence, external support can stabilise risk and provide expert intervention. This may come in the form of access to expert counselling, wellbeing resources, occupational health assessments for smoother return-to-work processes, etc.

2. Leadership teams feel unsure or overwhelmed

Leadership teams are often placed in challenging situations without adequate support. With expert training and access to support, organisations equip leaders with the skills to manage conversations safely, respond to early indicators and apply consistent, compliant processes.

3. Internal workforce and wellbeing policy capacity is limited

Smaller organisations often lack the resources, time or expertise to manage complex cases of poor wellbeing, excessive stress or design and implement comprehensive mental health and wellbeing support policies. External support provides scalable measures without increasing the workloads and strain on leadership teams.

4. Workforce concerns increase and escalate

Grievances, performance challenges and interpersonal conflict linked to stress require a balanced, expert approach. If the mental health and wellbeing of individuals is supported through access to 24/7 counselling or leadership teams are given expert, support, it can reduce workforce concerns whilst boosting cohesion and engagement among individuals.

5. You need specialist expertise

Structured, clinically led support that can be accessed via an Employee Assistance Programme can help an organisation to reduce the risk of stress related issues, protect individuals' wellbeing, maintaining high productivity rates and legal compliance

How an EAP can support with stress awareness and management

Work-related stress becomes significantly harder for organisations to manage alone when cases rise, managerial capability is stretched, or when people need structured clinical intervention. This is where HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s clinically led and accredited Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) becomes essential.

HA | Wisdom Wellbeing is the UK’s leading and largest EAP provider, supporting more than 88,000 organisations with 24/7, 365-day access to qualified counsellors, legally informed advice, specialist support and proactive intervention pathways.

Timely, clinically governed care reduces absence, improves stability and helps individuals return to work sooner. HA | Wisdom Wellbeing provides:

• 24/7 employee counselling from BACP and NCPS-accredited counsellors

• Online CBT (cCBT) via SilverCloud and Rightsteps

• Life & leadership coaching for individuals who need structured support to regain clarity and resilience

All offered as part of the EAP’s in-the-moment support model.

Many stress-related cases escalate because managers aren’t trained to identify early signs or lead psychologically safe conversations.

HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s services strengthen leadership capability through:

• Manager support lines for real-time guidance

• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training

• HR management & support lines for guidance on sensitive cases

This equips managers to respond confidently, consistently and safely

However, in some cases, your organisation may require more in-depth, specialist input and support, such as:

• Occupational health assessments for fitness-to-work clarity

• Virtual GP support for quick medical guidance

• Legal & financial wellbeing advice for individuals facing external pressures

These services help organisations maintain compliance, resolve concerns earlier and protect people from further harm. These proactive systems are designed not only to manage stress, but to strengthen organisational culture and resilience.

Conclusion

Work-related stress presents a clear organisational risk, but Stress Awareness Month not only acts as a reminder of this risk, it also presents an opportunity. Organisations that take a structured, compliance-first approach can reduce stress-related absences, stabilise workplace culture and strengthen workforce capability.

With stress now driving some of the highest levels of work-related ill health in the UK, proactive action is not optional; it is essential to protecting both your people and your long-term operational resilience.

By embedding robust risk assessments, equipping managers with the right tools, and offering timely, clinically governed support, your organisation builds a healthier, safer and more productive environment, one where people can thrive and perform at their best.

FAQs

Is managing work‑related stress a legal requirement?

Yes. UK health and safety law requires organisations to assess and control risks that could cause harm. This includes psychological harm from work-related stress.

Do we need a written stress risk assessment?

If your organisation’s workforce consists of five or more individuals, yes, it is a legal requirement to record significant findings. Even smaller teams benefit from documenting risks and controls.

What are early signs that our organisation may not be compliant?

Patterns such as recurring stress-related absence, inconsistent manager responses, reduced performance, or low morale often signal underlying risks.

How often should organisations review their stress controls?

At least annually, or sooner if roles, workloads or team structures change. High-growth SMEs may need more frequent reviews to keep pace with operational demands.

What type of training should leadership teams receive?

Leadership teams need training that covers early identification, supportive conversations, risk escalation, consistent documentation and signposting. This builds confidence and reduces organisational risk.