More than half of British workers admit to making mistakes at work because of stress, according to new research highlighting the growing toll of workplace pressure on employees and businesses.
The Workplace Silent Stress Survey 2025 by health and safety training provider Astutis found that 52.6% of workers have made errors on the job due to stress. One in four respondents, or 25%, said they had taken sick leave at least once as a result.
The survey of 553 participants also revealed that stress has wider consequences in the workplace. Some 28.5% said they had missed deadlines, while 32.9% reported clashing with colleagues because of stress.
Rising levels of work-related mental ill health
The findings come as the Health and Safety Executive published its latest annual statistics, showing that 964,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024 and 2025. The figure represents an increase on previous years, with mental health remaining the leading cause of work-related ill health and staying above pre-pandemic levels.
Experts warn that these pressures are contributing to reduced productivity, absenteeism and increased costs for employers.
Silence around stress at work
Despite the scale of the issue, the survey highlights a reluctance among workers to raise concerns with management. Only 4.7% of respondents said they would speak to their manager about stress, while just 1.3% would approach senior leadership.
Steve Terry, managing director at Astutis, said: “These numbers portray a widespread, workplace culture where employees may feel unsafe to raise stress-related concerns, preferring to suffer in silence.”
While workers are more willing to talk outside the workplace, with more than half confiding in friends or family, Mr Terry said this has limits.
“Although friends and family can offer emotional support, they have no power to implement changes to workloads or processes. It is management that is positioned to address the root causes that often underpin stress.”
Calls for employer action
Astutis is urging employers to review internal processes and workplace culture to encourage open discussions about stress. The company says such changes could help reduce absenteeism and staff turnover while improving employee well-being and engagement.
The Health and Safety executive has repeatedly stressed that preventing work-related stress is a legal duty for employers under health and safety regulations. Experts say measures such as regular conversations, risk assessments and workload reviews can help reduce risks.
The survey findings underline how workplace stress continues to affect performance, health and collaboration across the UK, with improved communication and support seen as key to tackling the problem.
