Work-related illness has affected 1.9 million people across the UK in the past year, with stress, depression and anxiety emerging as the leading causes of sickness and absence, according to new official figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The regulator’s Summary Statistics for Great Britain 2025 report reveals that stress-related conditions accounted for over half of all reported cases of ill health linked to work, with almost one million workers affected. The toll on productivity is also growing, with 40.1 million working days lost due to work-related ill health or non-fatal injury in 2024/25.
While the overall rate of reported work-related ill health had remained broadly flat in the years before the pandemic, the latest figures suggest a rise in recent years. In particular, the impact of stress, anxiety and depression has intensified, leading to growing concerns around mental health in the workplace.
Stress Accounts for Over Half of Work-Related Illness
Out of the 1.9 million workers affected by work-related ill health, 964,000 reported stress, depression or anxiety. This category alone accounted for 22.1 million working days lost during the reporting year.
Of those affected by stress-related conditions, 409,000 were experiencing new cases, while the remainder were living with long-standing issues. According to the HSE, the rate of self-reported work-related stress and anxiety has risen compared with pre-pandemic levels and shows signs of increasing over time.
Workers in public administration, education and health and social care experienced higher-than-average rates of stress-related conditions, with rates exceeding 3,000 cases per 100,000 workers in these sectors.
Musculoskeletal Conditions and Injuries Also Persist
Alongside mental health-related illness, musculoskeletal disorders remain a significant concern. In 2024/25, 511,000 workers reported musculoskeletal conditions linked to their jobs, including injuries to the back, neck, upper and lower limbs. These conditions resulted in 7.1 million lost working days.
Workplace injuries also remain widespread. Around 680,000 people sustained a non-fatal injury at work last year, according to self-reports through the Labour Force Survey. The most common causes included slips, trips and falls, handling and lifting, being struck by moving objects and acts of violence.
Although fatal injuries to workers remain relatively low, 124 workers were killed in work-related accidents in 2024/25, a figure broadly consistent with recent years.
Billions Lost to Ill Health and Injury
The cost to the British economy from work-related ill health and injury remains substantial. The HSE estimates the total cost for 2023/24 to be £22.9 billion, including both financial and human costs. This total excludes long-latency illnesses such as cancer. Of this figure, ill health accounts for 72 percent of costs and injuries 28 percent.
The burden is not equally shared. Individuals bear the majority of the cost at £13.4 billion, followed by government (£5.2 billion) and employers (£4.3 billion).
Rising Pressure on Employers to Act
The figures have prompted renewed calls for employers to take more robust and proactive steps to address workplace health risks, particularly those linked to mental wellbeing. Stress, in particular, is now the leading cause of work-related illness, affecting employees across all sectors and age groups.
In a 2024 update to its guidance, the HSE reminded employers that under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, they have a legal duty to assess and manage risks to employees’ health, including mental health. The agency continues to promote its Management Standards approach, which helps employers identify and tackle common causes of workplace stress, such as excessive workloads, lack of control, poor support and unclear job roles.
The HSE has said that early intervention, supportive management practices and a focus on workload and organisational culture are central to reversing the trend in rising stress-related absence.
What Employers Can Do
To respond to the growing burden of work-related ill health, workplace wellbeing experts and safety regulators recommend several key actions:
- Carry out regular risk assessments for stress as part of standard health and safety procedures. This includes reviewing workloads, role clarity, support levels and change management processes.
- Offer early support to employees showing signs of stress or musculoskeletal strain. Line managers should be trained to spot signs and know when to escalate.
- Ensure injured or ill staff are supported to return to work through phased returns or workplace adjustments. Early occupational health involvement can reduce long-term absence.
- Consult staff on working conditions, wellbeing needs and safety culture. Listening to workers can surface issues before they become critical.
- Improve ergonomics and reduce injury risks through better design of workstations, tools and manual handling procedures.
- Invest in mental health training for line managers to build confidence in having early conversations and reducing stigma.
Looking Ahead
While the HSE report highlights a continuing challenge, it also points to solutions that many organisations have already started to adopt. Informal conflict resolution, mental health first aid, flexible working policies and active monitoring of workloads are being used to reduce the risk of stress and long-term ill health.
The report’s findings suggest that without stronger action, the rising rates of stress, depression and anxiety will continue to harm both workers and employers, through lost time, higher costs and reduced engagement.
With 40 million working days lost and billions in economic cost, observers say work-related ill health is no longer an issue on the margins but is central to the wellbeing and sustainability of the UK workforce. For employers, the responsibility — and opportunity — to act has never been clearer.