Quarter of UK workplaces cite stress as cause of short-term absence
Published 26 November 2025
Research from Simplyhealth and the CIPD has found that 26% of organisations report stress as a cause of short-term absence in their top three causes.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of HR professionals report stress-related absence in their organisation in the last year.
Only half (50%) of organisations think their efforts to identify and reduce stress are effective.
The recently published Keep Britain Working review calls for a “rehumanisation of the workplace”, recognising that employment can support mental wellbeing but can also be a source of harm if not managed properly.
This Stress Awareness Month, Simplyhealth is calling on employers to adopt a few top tips that have been shown to effectively tackle stress and support absence reduction.
Top causes of workplace stress
Research and analysis by health plan and healthcare services provider, Simplyhealth, and the CIPD have found that a quarter (26%) of workplaces cite stress as a cause of short-term absence. Now in its 24th edition, the Health and Wellbeing at Work report is one of the most comprehensive surveys of employees and employers of its kind in the UK.
The 2025 findings have uncovered that 64% of HR professionals reported stress-related absence in their organisation over the last year, with heavy workloads cited as the most common cause of stress (41%), followed by personal health issues (37%) and family/relationships (34%).
Mental ill health remains a key topic of conversation, with the recently-published Keep Britain Working review identifying that the growth in 16-34 year-olds with a mental health condition who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness has risen by 76% between 2019 and 2024. In light of this, the government has highlighted the importance of supporting mental health at work.
At present, nearly two-thirds (64%) of organisations report that they are taking steps to identify and/or reduce stress in the workplace. However, only half (50%) think their efforts are proving effective. This Stress Awareness month, and in response to the key issues raised by the Keep Britain Working review, Simplyhealth is calling on employers to proactively support the wellbeing of their workforce by taking positive steps to reduce workplace stress.
Expert insights: supporting employee wellbeing
Dr. Louise Rix, Head of Clinical Product and Ops, Simplyhealth, said:
None of us are superhuman, and sometimes life gets on top of us. While employers are already making strides to foster environments that prioritise employee wellbeing and ensure that when life does get on top of us, they are there to support, stress-related absence remains a growing problem, and so we must keep forging ahead to reduce these numbers.
Creating comfortable environments at work is an incredibly important first step towards breaking down barriers often sensed by employees, such as fear of judgment, which prevent workers from flagging that they are having a tough time. Encouraging openness and adopting an open-door policy are just a couple of the immediate changes that employers can make to send a clear message to employees: we understand that life doesn’t move in a straight path, and we’re here to help if needed.
Louise’s advice for employers to support comfortable conversation at work is:
Communicate openly with employees to help build trust.
Build in regular check-ins so that employees recognise that they have a point of contact.
Create intentional moments such as virtual coffee chats, monthly socials or informal lunches, which build familiarity in the workplace.
Louise’s top tips for employees seeking to reduce, manage and heal from stress, both at work and at home, are:
Talking about your feelings: This can help you maintain your mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled.
Exercise: Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and help you concentrate, sleep and generally feel better.
Speaking to a professional: Mental ill-health can impact anyone. Just as you would speak to a dentist about a toothache or an optician about blurred vision, a mental health professional can help to identify the causes of mental ill-health and strategies to manage it. Check to see if your employer provides you with workplace healthcare benefits, as this can include access to professional support.
The economic cost of stress-related absence
Stress has a huge impact on wellbeing and productivity, and research by Fair4All Finance has shown that cutting stress-related workplace absence could add £5.9 billion to the economy.1 More broadly, sickness-related absence is costing an estimated £150 billion in total every year.2 Tackling the root causes of sickness absence is therefore a national economic and social priority.
Paul Schreier, CEO at Simplyhealth, said:
Workplace absence costs the economy billions each year. Employers are crucial partners in meeting the government’s mission to reduce absenteeism and relieve pressure on the NHS. Things are moving in the right direction, with 57% of organisations now having a wellbeing strategy in place, vs. just 44% five years ago - but more needs to be done to tackle climbing absence rates.
By offering mental health benefits to employees, businesses can prevent employees from developing stress-related illnesses. We are proud to be included in the next phase of the Keep Britain Working review, contributing to efforts in demonstrating how employers and healthcare providers can improve access to workplace health provision, reduce absences - specifically in relation to mental ill health - and boost workplace productivity.
The challenge is significant, but together we can address the long-term sickness epidemic, helping more people to stay in or return to work and building a healthier, more productive Britain.
Building a healthier, more productive workforce
To help get more employees to access healthcare, Simplyhealth makes it easier and more affordable for employees to access healthcare. With 24/7 GP and mental health support, health cash plans, and pay-as-you-go services – from tests and scans to neurodiversity assessments – there are no GP referrals, no pre-approvals, and the majority of plans cover pre-existing conditions. As workplace health experts, Simplyhealth provides targeted care to prevent illness, support recovery, and keep your people healthy and productive.
Notes to editors:
1 Financial inclusion and growth, a WPI Economics report for Fair4All Finance, July 2025
2 The economic cost of ill health among the working-age population, Oxera, 2023
Methodology:
The CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work report 2025, supported by Simplyhealth, collected data through a survey of 1,101 HR professionals or management-level employees with HR decision-making responsibilities, who also have direct involvement in or knowledge of health and wellbeing in their role within their organisation. The survey was conducted online by YouGov from March to April 2025. The data is weighted by sector and business size to be representative of employers in the UK. A 5% trimmed mean was applied to calculate the average absence.
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