Employee survey software business Stribe has analysed 2025 health data, ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10th October, to reveal the challenges and opportunities for mental health in the workplace. The data reveals a clear mandate for UK businesses: investing just £1 in mental health support yields a £5.30 return through reduced absence and staff turnover. This call to action comes as mental ill health drives a national productivity crisis, costing the UK economy 16.4 million working days annually due to stress, depression or anxiety. Poor mental health among employees is estimated to cost UK employers between £53 billion and £56 billion annually, according to a major report by Deloitte.
Stribe looked at credible data from CIPD, NHS, HSE and ONS Gov data, amongst other sources, to paint a picture of mental health at work. Mental Health UK reports that 9 in 10 (91%) adults experienced high pressure or stress in the last year, with the most immediate risk lying with the youngest workers aged 18-24 years old. This data shows a massive opportunity for businesses to improve productivity and safeguard their future talent pipeline through targeted interventions.
The Long-term Absence Crisis
Data unanimously found that mental ill health is the leading cause of long-term absences at work, accounting for 41% of long-term sick days. Mental ill health was also the second most common cause of short-term absences, accounting for 29% of absences of a period of four weeks or less (after minor ill health). The problem is so severe that HSE reports that in the 2022/23 financial year, a total of 16.4 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety. Days lost from stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 49% of all working days lost from illness or nonfatal injury across Great Britain in 2022/2023.
Further Statistics from HSE revealed the average person suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety takes an average of 21.1 days off work each year, proving both the personal and productivity cost of this crisis. Gov data supports this, highlighting that 1 in 7 people say they experience mental health problems in the workplace (15%). This costly trend is one of the main drivers behind the record high of 9.4 working days lost per employee annually, across all absences.
This trend is set to rise soon also, as reporting shows employee sickness absence due to unipolar depressive disorders, anxiety and non-organic sleep disorders historically peaks during the October–November period each year.
Further data from YouGov reveals that, despite 89% of organisations saying they prioritise employee wellbeing, only 29% train line managers in mental health support. This gap is critical, as trained managers report a 73% confidence rate in conducting sensitive discussions regarding mental wellbeing, a key component of prevention.
The Younger Employee Impact
Data proves that young workers are disproportionately affected by practical pressures like unpaid overtime (48%) and taking on extra hours due to the cost of living (46%). Businesses intervening in these areas would offer immediate improvements to wellbeing and work-life balance.
It appears younger generations are less able to enjoy a work-life balance also, with just one-third (33%) of 18-24-year-olds agreeing with the statement that they could switch off from work when they needed to, compared with 46% of those aged 55+.
The proportion of 18-24-year-olds comfortable discussing stress with a line manager has plunged from 75% to 56% in the past year, indicating a clear need to rebuild relationships and credibility at the managerial level amongst younger employees.
Further reports add to this, sharing that 18-24 year-olds are most likely to say interventions such as reasonable adjustments, mental health training and a supportive line manager help alleviate stress and prevent burnout. This highlights how a manager’s skills and experience in supporting mental wellbeing has never been more important.
Over Half Would Quit Due to Poor Mental Wellbeing
Stribe’s research found that, when mental health is neglected, 89% of all employees say it impacts their working life and more than half have considered resigning, highlighting the enormous employer risk of failing to act.
NHS data confirms the widespread need for support, with 2.15 million people in contact with mental health services at the end of July 2025. This data also highlighted that 22.6% of UK adults reported evidence of depression or anxiety (up long-term from 19.7%), proving the need for early intervention at work has never been greater.
“This World Mental Health Day, the message is clear, supporting mental health makes a real difference to people’s lives. Not only does it benefit individuals, it makes good business sense too, with a £5.30 return for every pound spent on employees,” commented Lucy Harvey, COO at Stribe, “The data shows that employees know what they need: supportive managers and reasonable adjustments, but employers are failing to provide the basic training needed to deliver it. By empowering line managers and addressing core issues like high workload and poor relationships, businesses can immediately cut their massive absence costs, boost loyalty and safeguard their most valuable asset: their people.
“Some ways businesses can strengthen their mental health support for employees includes: training a mental health first aider in the office, keeping leadership staff updated with soft skills training, rolling out employee feedback surveys and ensuring bespoke approaches are taken to look at reasonable adjustments and adaptations for employees who need that extra support. Investing in these measures will ensure you’re investing in you
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