Dr Glenn Mason, Head of Adult Psychological Therapies at Onebright shares insights from Onebright’s internal data on stress diagnoses, as well as some strategies to implement to prevent stress, burnout and other more serious mental health issues.

April is Stress Awareness Month, and this year’s theme is about approaching people with kindness, compassion, and acceptance, no matter what challenges they face.

This year especially it seems as important as ever to bring this into the workplace and help employees who may be dealing with a range of situations causing stress. From financial worries caused by the ongoing cost-of-living-crisis, to problems arising within families and in their children, such as ADHD or Autism, no two employees are the same, and neither are they under the same levels of stress.

This is not just anecdotal either, internal data from Onebright shows that between 2023 and 2024, overall diagnoses related to stress and the issues that it can exacerbate more than doubled (up 122%) as a proportion of all diagnoses over the year. This indicates that not only are many employees more stressed, but also that it is impacting their work to a significant enough degree to require support or therapy.

It is estimated that every year in the UK, poor mental health causes 18 million days of work to be lost. During these absences, like any other kind of illness, businesses incur costs related to paying for overtime for other employees who have to cover the absent workers’ duties and the potential costs of temporary staffing. Additionally, the frequent absence of skilled employees can disrupt workflow and project timelines, further impacting the bottom line. Clearly this has knock on effects on the rest of the team too, increasing stress levels further and potentially worsening existing issues among other employees.

Part of addressing this issue comes from understanding that continued high levels of stress are not just a normal part of business or part of a “fast paced work environment” rather they can be both unhealthy and counter productive.

Providing employees with access to a range of support and resources can help prevent stress becoming burnout or other more serious mental health issues. Here are a few strategies you can implement to help prevent this.

Develop the necessary skills

Preventing poor mental health developing is much more effective than waiting until people become ill. Creating a ‘mental health at work’ plan is a great place to start. In addition to developing mental health policies, revising corporate strategies on sick leave and health and safety should also be considered to weave the mental health advice throughout.

Training and awareness for all employees into mental health matters is vital. Businesses should strive to put their employees first by having the right policies and training in place, and the organisation is rightly prepared to support mental health problems should they arise.

Communicate and motivate

Implementing training and new policies is of limited use if employees are unaware of them. It is important to communicate that support is available should they need it. Equally, opening up communication channels between employees and managers is key to fostering a positive and constructive work environment. Working closely with employees to identify areas where they can make their own decisions and manage their own time is a good entrance to acknowledging one’s mental wellbeing at work.

Good communication will address and prevent mental ill-health exacerbated by work, reduce absences caused by mental health problems, and support employees with a mental health condition so they can thrive in a safe and trusted environment. Managing stress, worry and uncertainty is extremely important. Regular company updates and check-ins will give employees the sense that they are not being left in the dark.

Set achievable goals

Setting lofty goals is admirable and often the default for managers, but if they are unattainable they quickly become demotivating. By setting goals that are related to the job your team member does and are in their sphere of control, as well as that seem achievable is both motivating and relieves stress.

Be flexible in your approach

Your employees will all have different ways of working and different ways of dealing with challenges. If an employee feels like they aren’t coping with their workload, are stressed or need adaptations to their work, managers can be as flexible as possible so that they can best cater to the needs of their employees. Try to consider any modifications that can be made to your employee’s role, such as adjusting hours, workload, tactics, breaks, or perhaps providing a mentor.

Set boundaries 

Work-life balance is essential for happy and productive employees, but it is imperative to have clear boundaries in place to achieve this healthy working environment. Employees who are productive in the long-term are fuelled by regular breaks, self-care and recreational time. By clearly structuring the timing of your organisation’s working hours, with the inclusion of regular breaks and annual leave for everyone, you will help your employees find a healthy work-life balance and prevent burnout.

Ensure your employees know how to find help 

Creating a page on your internal system about how people can access your organisation’s mental health resources, as well as external resources such as NHS Mental Health is a good idea. Clearly signposting any relevant resources for your team will give everyone the ability to seek the support they need.

As a leader of any organisation, it is vital to look out for individuals who may need support with their mental health. Providing training for your mental health first aiders with clinically led, expert advice will ensure you are able to support employees appropriately when they require help.