Employer Duty of Care: Stress. Why Employers Must Act During Stress Awareness Month
April marks Stress Awareness Month, giving employers an important opportunity to pause, reflect, and take meaningful action to support wellbeing at work. At Circle HR, we work closely with organisations across the South West of England, and we continue to see work-related stress as one of the most significant, and preventable, challenges facing employers today.
When talking about employer duty of care: stress, this is not simply a wellbeing issue. It is a business, legal, and people management issue that employers cannot afford to ignore.
The scale of the issue is clear. Recent figures show that in 2024/25, nearly one million workers reported stress, depression, or anxiety linked to their jobs, resulting in 22.1 million working days lost. Even more striking is that around 50% of all work-related ill health is now attributed to stress. Stress remains one of the leading causes of lost productivity, sickness absence, and employee disengagement in the UK workforce.
Employer duty of care: stress. a legal and moral responsibility
The CIPD is clear that employers have both a legal duty and a moral responsibility to manage work-related stress. Under health and safety legislation, organisations must take reasonable steps to protect employees from harm, including psychological harm, arising from their work. This is a key part of employer duty of care: stress obligations.
Failing to address stress can expose employers to grievances, claims, high turnover, and reputational damage, as well as poorer performance and lower morale.
The CIPD defines stress as a reaction to excessive pressures or demands that exceed an individual’s ability to cope. Importantly, stress is not the same as pressure. It often develops when pressure is prolonged, poorly managed, or unsupported.
Research highlighted during Stress Awareness Month also shows that around 1 in 4 workers say they feel unable to cope with stress at work. That figure alone should prompt employers to act.
Why employer duty of care: stress matters in the workplace
For employers, managing stress is not about ticking a box or running a one-off wellbeing initiative. It requires consistent, proactive, and practical action. A strong approach to employer duty of care: stress helps businesses reduce risk, protect employees, and build healthier, more productive workplaces.
As a minimum, employers should focus on three key areas:
1. Update stress risk assessments
Stress risk assessments should be reviewed regularly, particularly where there have been changes to workload, staffing levels, management structures, or working arrangements. Employers should identify key stressors such as excessive workload, lack of control, poor communication, role ambiguity, or insufficient support, and take meaningful steps to reduce or manage these risks.
2. Train managers to address stress confidently
Line managers play a critical role in spotting the early signs of stress and supporting employees effectively. Too often, managers feel uncomfortable or ill-equipped to have conversations about stress and mental wellbeing. Providing training and guidance helps managers build confidence, respond appropriately, and know when to escalate or signpost additional support.
Early intervention can help prevent stress from escalating into long-term absence, which is why manager capability is such an important part of employer duty of care: stress in practice.
3. Review workloads and support systems
Excessive or unmanageable workloads remain one of the biggest causes of work-related stress. Employers should review how work is allocated, assess capacity realistically, and ensure support systems are in place. This might include clearer prioritisation, flexible working options, access to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), or regular wellbeing check-ins.
Stress Awareness Month 2026: Be part of the ‘Be The Change’ campaign
This year’s Stress Awareness Month encourages everyone, individuals and organisations alike, to #BeTheChange by turning awareness into action. Employers can play a powerful role by embedding these principles into their workplace culture:
Take personal action
Encourage employees and managers to look after their own wellbeing through self-care, reflection, and mindful choices. A healthy workplace starts with self-awareness.
Make small acts matter
Simple actions really do add up. Showing kindness, listening without judgement, or checking in on a colleague can make a significant difference.
Share your journey
Promote openness by sharing experiences, learning, and wellbeing initiatives using #BeTheChange. Normalising conversations about stress helps reduce stigma.
Participate in activities
Whether it is wellbeing workshops, stress awareness sessions, or team check-ins, small initiatives can turn good intentions into real impact.
Explore available resources
Use guidance, tools, and frameworks from trusted organisations to support positive change and reduce stress across your workforce.
How Circle HR can support employers with duty of care stress
At Circle HR, we support organisations to manage stress proactively and compliantly, from reviewing stress risk assessments and policies through to training managers and embedding healthier ways of working.
If your business is reviewing its approach to employer duty of care: stress, Stress Awareness Month is the perfect time to reflect on what is working well and what needs to change.
If you would like support to help your organisation meet its obligations, protect your people, and reduce work-related stress, we are here to help.
Let’s work together to make wellbeing more than a conversation and truly #BeTheChange.
Sarah and Niall
Circle HR