Work-related stress is one of the most common challenges in today’s workplaces. Left unchecked, it can harm both staff wellbeing and your organisation’s culture and performance. As an employer, you have a legal and moral duty to reduce harmful stress and create a safe, supportive working environment.

If you’re looking for advice as an employee, see our Work issues pages for tips, rights and where to find support.

Work-related stress is the second biggest occupational health problem in the UK, after musculoskeletal disorders such as back problems.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines it as: “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work.”

In other words, stress is the body’s reaction when demands become overwhelming. A manageable level of pressure – such as preparing for a presentation or meeting a deadline – can help us stay motivated and perform well. But ongoing or excessive pressure can quickly tip into anxiety, burnout and ill health.

The stress curve shows how the right level of pressure helps us perform at our best, but too much leads to burnout.

The Stress curve

Download pdf (90 KB) View as a web page

The stress bucket is another way to visualise what happens when pressures pile up without enough coping strategies or support.

Common causes of stress at work

Stress can look different in every workplace, but some common themes include:

  • High demands and workload – unrelenting pressures, long hours, or unrealistic deadlines.
  • Safety risks or trauma – roles where staff face danger, upsetting situations, or responsibility for others’ health and wellbeing (for example, healthcare, social care, or emergency services).
  • Work-life balance – lack of flexibility, difficulties juggling responsibilities, or blurred boundaries when working from home.
  • Support and communication – staff feeling isolated, working across multiple sites, or not knowing who to approach for help.
  • Job security and contracts – instability, lack of benefits like sick pay or holiday pay, or zero-hours contracts.
  • Workplace culture – bullying, harassment, aggressive or unsupportive management styles, or inappropriate behaviour going unchallenged.
  • Customer-facing pressure – staff feeling under constant attack from unhappy or angry clients or service users.
  • Organisational factors – poor processes, unclear structures, or inconsistent application of policies that make work harder than it needs to be.

Some industries – including healthcare, education, finance, law, construction, emergency services, call centres, and parts of the creative and digital industries – are known to carry higher risks of stress and burnout. But every organisation, regardless of sector or size, needs to take steps to protect staff wellbeing.

See the HSE’s Management Standards for practical guidance on tackling these issues.

You can also explore these causes in your team with our resource:

Sources of work stress

Download pdf (111 KB) View as a web page

The impact of wider pressures

Stress doesn’t just come from the job itself. People may also be dealing with financial worries, health conditions, relationship issues, or caring responsibilities.

As an employer, you don’t need to have all the answers, but open conversations and clear signposting can help.

Our Work issues pages bring together tips, rights at work, and resources you can share with staff. You can also visit our Finding support page for local and national services on money worries, housing, caring and more.

If you or your managers would like to feel more confident having these conversations, you can also join our monthly signposting training. These free, short online sessions are open to anyone in Leeds who supports others as part of their role.

As an employer you have a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to protect the health, safety and welfare of your staff. This includes assessing and reducing risks from work-related stress.

Employers also have a common law duty of care to take reasonable steps to safeguard staff wellbeing.

Read more about Employer legal responsibilities.

Workplace culture matters

Policies matter, but culture makes the biggest difference. A workplace where staff feel respected, listened to, and safe to speak up is far more resilient to stress.

Ask yourself:

  • Do staff feel supported, listened to, and able to raise concerns?
  • Are wellbeing policies applied fairly and consistently?
  • Does the culture encourage respect, empathy and inclusion?
  • Do staff have opportunities to feed back and suggest improvements?

In complex or high-pressure organisations, you may need to get creative with staff engagement. That might mean text messages or newsletters for staff without regular computer access, apps or webinars for digital teams, or simple team briefings for everyone else.

See our guide: What can we do to improve employee wellbeing?

Putting support in place

If you’re concerned about a colleague, see Worried about a team member? for guidance on starting conversations and offering support.

Health and care staff in Leeds can also access quick, tailored support through Thrive @ Work in Leeds, which provides coaching, workplace adjustments and fast-track mental health support.

Practical tools and resources