Stress causing mistakes at work, research finds

The HSE’s latest statistics show that 964,000 workers this year have suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety.

The Astutis report states that over 1 in 4 (28.5%) Brits have missed deadlines due to stress, and a third (32.9%) of Brits have also clashed with someone in the workplace due to stress.

These stats are costing workplaces millions of pounds each year, and workplaces need to take workplace burnout and stress more seriously.

The research paints a stark picture of how stress is impacting productivity, collaboration, and employee well-being across Britain:

The Workplace Silent Stress Survey 2025 surveyed 553 participants to find more about who they speak to, if anyone, when they’re stressed. 

What’s troubling is that individuals aren’t talking with their managers about their worries, which are leading to these responses. 

Only 4.7% of those surveyed said that they would speak to their managers about what’s concerning them, and even fewer (1.3%) engage with people in leadership roles. 

Steve Terry, managing director at Astutis, commented on these findings: “These numbers portray a widespread, workplace culture where employees may feel unsafe to raise stress-related concerns, preferring to suffer in silence.”

It’s not a case of people not talking about their stress, over half of those interviewed were far more likely to confide in their friends or family. Steve suggests that this can actually be more damaging than it first appears to be. 

“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.”

From their findings, Astutis is encouraging employers to look at their internal processes and company culture and focus on creating an environment where people feel they are able to talk with their managers and leaders. 

The benefit goes both ways; employers reduce the cost to their business in terms of lost hours and turnover, and employees will feel less stressed and, ideally, more valued in their roles.