Stress Awareness Week (3–7 November 2025) highlights the urgent need for employers to tackle work-related stress. This year’s theme, “Optimising Employee Wellbeing through Strategic Stress Management”, reminds us that protecting mental health isn’t optional — it’s a legal duty.

 

Why Work-Related Stress Matters

  • In 2023/24, about 776,000 UK workers reported stress, depression or anxiety caused or worsened by work — nearly half of all work-related ill health cases (HSE, 2024).
  • Chronic stress contributes to serious health issues and costs employers through absence, turnover and reduced productivity.

 

The Legal Duty to Act

Employers must treat psychological risks like any other workplace hazard.

  1. Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
    Requires employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees — including mental health.
  2. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
    Mandates risk assessments for stress and suitable control measures (ACAS).
  3. Equality Act 2010
    If stress leads to a long-term mental health condition, employers must make reasonable adjustments.
  4. Common Law Duty of Care
    Failing to prevent foreseeable harm from stress can result in negligence claims.

As the HSE’s Working Minds campaign states:

“Stress is a health and safety risk – and it’s the law to act.”
(WorkRight Campaign)

 

Turning Duty into Action

Step What to Do
Leadership Senior leaders must model openness and prioritise wellbeing.
Risk Assessment Identify main stressors (demands, control, support, relationships, role, change).
Employee Involvement Involve staff in designing solutions and reviewing outcomes.
Support & Training Offer manager training, EAPs, and mental health first aid.
Reasonable Adjustments Flexible hours or role modifications where needed.

Use HSE’s Management Standards and the TUC’s workplace stress guide as practical tools.

 

Marking Stress Awareness Week 2025

  • Host wellbeing sessions or stress-awareness workshops
  • Share your stress-risk assessment and improvement plans
  • Promote mental health resources and support networks

But avoid “tick-box” gestures progress comes from consistent action, not one-off campaigns.

 

Final Thought

Stress Awareness Week 2025 isn’t just about awareness, it’s about accountability. UK law already makes stress prevention a duty. Taking it seriously protects not only your workforce, but your organisation’s future.

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