08 Jul 2026

3 ways employers can support staff to combat stress

Burnout and stress at work translate into costs for employers with absence and health care needs.

In 2025, 91% of UK adults reported experiencing high or extreme levels of pressure or stress, according to The Burnout Report from Mental Health UK’s.

Separate data from HSE found that, between 2024 and 2025, 964,000 workers said they were suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety.

The HSE report added that for employers, this work-related stress could translate into a huge cost; 22.1 million working days were lost due to this during the same period .

Additional research from Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace report found that, in 2023, 15% of employees reported burnout, which is commonly defined as a result of chronic workplace stress.

Stress appears to be a key challenge for businesses and one that could have a significant impact on employees. However, almost three in 10 employees believe that their organisation is not effectively managing workplace stress, suggesting that employers could play a more active role.

While it’s crucial that employers and HR understand what stress is, how to spot the signs and how it can manifest, it’s also important to consider how they can support their employees to combat stress.

Here are three ways that employers can help provide support:

1. Equip managers to spot stress early

Whether it’s feelings of being overwhelm, irritability or changes in performance, the signs of stress can look different from person to person.

That’s why training line managers can make a meaningful difference:

Recognise both visible and less obvious signs of stress
Have open, supportive conversations
Set realistic workloads and expectations

Open and regular communication is particularly important as this can help managers to intervene early and provide support.

2. Create a culture that enables people to recharge

While stress can stem from many sources, work remains a major contributor. In fact, CIPHR research found that more than two-thirds of employed adults identified at least one aspect of work that contributes to their stress levels.

“Fostering healthy workplace habits, scheduling regular breaks, respecting work boundaries and having clear avenues of support will help employers to identify staff who may be behaving differently and need additional support,” said Silvia Cordoba, senior mental health and wellbeing coach at Vitality.

In addition, employers can also:

Encourage regular breaks
Set clear expectations around working hours and work-life balance
Offer flexible working arrangements
Encourage movement during the working day (run clubs, walking meetings, steps-based challenges)

3. Provide access to preventative mental health support

While line manager training and workplace culture play a critical role, providing access to internal and external resources, such as counselling and mental health support, for example through business health insurance plans, can be useful.

Additionally, offering access to digital tools where employees can access day-to-day wellbeing support, such as meditation and mindfulness exercises, can also be beneficial.

“It’s crucial that employers build a positive and healthy environment,” said Cordoba where “employee opinions and needs are heard, and solutions are rolled out to address challenges.”

“This will enable employers to successfully support staff and help contribute to reduce stress in the workplace.”