What is Work-Related Stress?

The Health and Safety Executive defines stress as:

The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them.

Pressure at work is not necessarily harmful in itself. However, excessive or prolonged pressure can lead to work-related stress and can affect both physical and mental health.

Work-related stress can have many causes, including:

• Excessive workload
• Unrealistic deadlines
• Long working hours
• Lack of support
• Poor management
• Bullying or harassment
• Difficult workplace relationships
• Lack of control over work
• Unclear responsibilities
• Organisational change
• An unsuitable working environment

Stress affects people differently. A level of pressure that one employee can manage may have a significantly different effect on another.

For further guidance, see Bullying at Work and Mental Health at Work.

What Responsibilities Does My Employer Have for Work-Related Stress?

Employers have legal health and safety responsibilities in relation to work-related stress.

They must assess risks to workers' health from stress in the same way that they assess other workplace health and safety risks and take appropriate steps to manage identified risks.

Relevant legal duties arise principally under:

• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

An employer should therefore take a proactive approach rather than waiting until an employee becomes seriously unwell.

What Should an Employer Assess?

The Health and Safety Executive identifies six important areas of work design that can contribute to workplace stress:

• Demands
• Control
• Support
• Relationships
• Role
• Change

Demands

This includes matters such as:

• Workload
• Working patterns
• Deadlines
• Working environment

Control

This concerns how much influence a worker has over the way they perform their work.

Support

This includes:

• Management support
• Colleague support
• Training
• Resources

Relationships

Employers should promote appropriate working relationships and address:

• Conflict
• Bullying
• Harassment
• Unacceptable behaviour

Role

Employees should understand:

• Their Duties
• Their Responsibilities
• What is expected of them

Conflicting or unclear responsibilities can contribute to stress.

Change

Organisational changes should be managed and communicated properly.

Changes can include:

• Restructuring
• Redundancy
• Changes to duties
• Changes to management
• Changes to working practices

An employer does not necessarily have to use the HSE Management Standards methodology itself, but it must have a suitable approach to assessing and managing work-related stress risks.

When Does an Employer Need to Act?

An employer should consider both general workplace risks and concerns affecting individual employees.

Relevant signs can include:

• An unusually heavy workload
• Repeated excessive hours
• Falling performance
• Changes in behaviour
• Increased sickness absence
• Complaints about workload
• Reports of bullying
• An employee saying they are struggling
• Medical evidence indicating work-related stress

An employer cannot necessarily be expected to know about every private health issue.

However, once concerns become apparent, the employer should consider what action is reasonably necessary.

This is particularly important where the employee has expressly raised the problem.

Does My Employer Have to Remove All Pressure From My Job?

No.

Employers can reasonably expect employees to deal with the normal demands of their role.

Many jobs naturally involve:

• Deadlines
• Responsibility
• Busy periods
• Difficult decisions
• Performance expectations

The issue is whether workplace pressures or risks have become excessive or are being managed inadequately.

An employer does not automatically have to:

• Remove all challenging work
• Reallocate every difficult duty
• Reduce every deadline

However, it should properly consider identifiable risks and reasonable measures that could reduce them.

What Should My Employer Do if I Say I Am Suffering From Stress?

There is no single solution that applies to every employee.

Your employer should normally discuss the problem with you and try to identify:

• What is causing the stress
• Whether the cause is work-related
• How serious the problem is
• What support may help
• Whether medical advice is appropriate
• Whether workplace adjustments are required

Possible measures might include:

• Reviewing workload
• Adjusting priorities
• Providing additional support
• Providing further training
• Clarifying responsibilities
• Changing deadlines
• Altering duties
• Addressing bullying or conflict
• Reviewing working hours
• Considering flexible working
• Arranging occupational health advice
• Agreeing a phased return after sickness absence

What is reasonable will depend on the individual circumstances.

An employer is not automatically required to transfer work to other employees regardless of the effect that this would have on them or the business.

The correct response usually involves balancing the employee's needs against legitimate operational requirements.

Can Stress Amount to a Disability?

Potentially, but experiencing stress does not automatically mean that you are disabled under the Equality Act 2010.

The Equality Act test focuses on whether you have a physical or mental impairment that has a:

• Substantial adverse effect
• Long-term adverse effect

on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

"Substantial" means more than minor or trivial.

"Long-term" generally means that the effect:

• Has lasted at least 12 months
• Is likely to last at least 12 months
• Is likely to last for the rest of your life

Recurring or fluctuating conditions can also satisfy the long-term test in appropriate circumstances.

Is Work-Related Stress Automatically a Mental Impairment?

No.

HSE describes stress as a reaction rather than an illness in itself, although stress can cause or contribute to physical or mental illness.

The Equality Act question therefore depends on your actual condition and its effects rather than simply whether you use the word stress.

For example, work-related circumstances might lead to or aggravate:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorder
• Another recognised mental health condition

Such a condition can potentially amount to a disability where the Equality Act requirements are satisfied.

A formal diagnostic label is not necessarily decisive. The legal focus is on the impairment and its effect on normal day-to-day activities.

Does a Mental Health Condition Have to Have Already Lasted 12 Months?

No.

The condition can satisfy the long-term requirement if, at the relevant time, its substantial effects are likely to last at least 12 months.

Recurring conditions can also potentially qualify where substantial effects are likely to recur.

The question should therefore not be decided simply by counting how many months an employee has already been unwell.

What Rights Do I Have if My Stress-Related Condition is a Disability?

If your condition satisfies the Equality Act definition of disability, several protections may apply.

These can include protection against:

• Direct discrimination
• Discrimination arising from disability
• Indirect discrimination
• Failure to make reasonable adjustments
• Harassment
• Victimisation

For further information, see Disability Discrimination.

What Reasonable Adjustments Could Be Considered?

Depending on the circumstances, adjustments might include:

• Adjusted hours
• Temporary reduced workload
• Changes to duties
• Additional breaks
• A Phased return
• Different reporting arrangements
• Changes to absence-management triggers
• Working from home
• Additional supervision or support
• Redeployment to an appropriate role

There is no automatic entitlement to any particular adjustment.

The employer needs to consider what is reasonable in the circumstances.

What Should I Do if Work is Making Me Stressed?

If you feel able to do so, raising the issue early can help prevent the situation becoming worse.

You might initially speak to:

• Your Line manager
• Human Resources
• A Trade union representative
• Another appropriate manager

If your line manager is contributing to the problem, it may be more appropriate to speak directly to HR or another manager.

Should I Put My Concerns in Writing?

This can be sensible.

Even if the initial conversation is informal, a short written record can help confirm:

• What concerns you raised
• When you raised them
• What support you requested

This can also help avoid later disagreement about what the employer knew.

An employer's knowledge can be particularly relevant where disability-related duties are involved.

What Practical Steps Could I Ask My Employer to Consider?

Depending on the cause of the stress, you might discuss:

• Workload
• Priorities
• Deadlines
• Staffing support
• Training
• Management support
• Working hours
• Flexible working
• Workplace relationships
• Occupational health
• A Temporary change in duties

The appropriate solution should address the actual cause of the problem where possible.

Should I Raise a Formal Grievance?

If informal discussions do not resolve the issue, you can consider raising a formal Grievance at Work.

A grievance can be appropriate where the stress is linked to matters such as:

• Excessive workload
• Bullying
• Harassment
• Discrimination
• Management conduct
• Failure to provide support

The grievance should normally explain:

• What has happened
• How it is affecting you
• What concerns you previously raised
• What evidence is available
• What outcome you are seeking

Your employer should deal with the grievance fairly and without unreasonable delay.

Can I Take Sick Leave Because of Work-Related Stress?

Yes.

If stress is affecting your health to the extent that you are not fit to work, you can take sickness absence in accordance with your employer's normal sickness procedure.

You may be entitled to:

• Statutory Sick Pay
• Contractual sick pay

depending on your circumstances.

Under the SSP rules applying from 6 April 2026, eligible employees can receive SSP from the first full qualifying day of sickness absence.

For the 2026/27 tax year, SSP is the lower of:

• £123.25 per week
• 80% of average weekly earnings

SSP can generally be paid for up to 28 weeks.

For further guidance, see Sickness.

When Do I Need a Fit Note?

You can normally self-certify for the first 7 calendar days of sickness.

If your sickness lasts longer than seven days, your employer can normally require a fit note from an appropriately authorised healthcare professional.

A fit note may say that you are:

• Not fit for work
• May be fit for work

Where it says you may be fit for work, it may recommend changes that could help you return.

Can Flexible Working Help With Work-Related Stress?

Potentially.

Flexible working arrangements might include:

• Different start and finish times
• Part-time hours
• Hybrid working
• Home working
• Compressed hours
• Another change to working patterns

Employees have a statutory day-one right to request flexible working.

You can make up to 2 statutory requests in any 12-month period and can normally have only one live statutory request with the same employer at a time.

Your employer must deal with a statutory request reasonably and normally reach a decision, including any appeal, within 2 months, unless an extension is agreed.

The right is a right to request, rather than an automatic right to receive the arrangement requested.

Where the employee is disabled, the employer's separate duty to make reasonable adjustments may also apply and should not be confused with the flexible-working regime.

Can My Employer's Failure to Deal With Stress Amount to Constructive Dismissal?

Potentially, but not every failure to resolve workplace stress will amount to constructive dismissal.

To establish Constructive Dismissal, you would generally need to show that:

• Your Employer committed a fundamental breach of contract
• You resigned because of that breach
• You did not affirm the contract before resigning

Depending on the circumstances, a serious failure to respond to known workplace health risks or serious mistreatment could potentially contribute to a breach of the implied duty of mutual trust and confidence.

However, the legal test is demanding and highly fact-sensitive.

It is usually sensible to consider the legal consequences before resigning.

As at 10 September 2026, an ordinary constructive unfair dismissal claim generally requires 2 years' continuous employment, subject to exceptions where no qualifying period applies.

From 1 January 2027, the ordinary unfair dismissal qualifying period will reduce to 6 months.

Separate discrimination claims do not require this qualifying period.

What if My Stress is Caused by Something Outside Work?

Stress may arise from personal circumstances rather than work.

Examples can include:

• Bereavement
• Relationship difficulties
• Caring responsibilities
• Financial problems
• Health issues
• Family circumstances

If personal stress is affecting your ability to work, you may still wish to discuss the matter with your employer.

You do not necessarily need to provide every private detail.

It may be possible to agree appropriate support while keeping sensitive personal information limited to those who genuinely need to know.

Does My Employer Have Responsibilities if Work Did Not Cause My Condition?

Potentially.

Equality Act duties do not only apply to health conditions caused by employment.

If a mental or physical impairment qualifies as a disability, the employer may have to consider reasonable adjustments regardless of what originally caused the condition.

Other options might include:

• Flexible working
• Annual leave
• Temporary adjustments
• Occupational health support

The source of the illness and whether it meets the statutory disability definition are separate questions.

Should My Employer Contact Me While I Am Off With Stress?

Reasonable contact during sickness absence can be appropriate and useful.

It can:

• Prevent isolation
• Provide support
• Help with return-to-work planning
• Keep you informed about important matters

However, the amount and method of contact should be appropriate to your condition.

Current Acas guidance recommends that the employer and worker agree how often they will keep in touch so that contact does not become overwhelming.

What Contact Arrangement Could Be Agreed?

Depending on your circumstances, you could agree:

• How often contact takes place
• Whether contact is by phone or email
• Who should contact you
• What subjects should be discussed
• Whether communication should temporarily go through HR

This can be particularly important where the cause of the absence involves:

• Your Line manager
• Bullying
• Work-related anxiety
• An Ongoing grievance

Can My Employer Contact Me About Important Employment Processes?

Potentially.

Being off sick does not automatically stop all workplace procedures.

There may still be important issues involving:

• Redundancy
• Disciplinary proceedings
• Grievances
• Performance processes

However, the employer should consider:

• Your Medical position
• Whether you are capable of participating
• Whether adjustments are required
• Whether communication can be provided in writing
• Whether a meeting should be postponed

For further guidance, see Redundancy, Dismissal and Disciplinary Process and Poor Performance and Performance Improvement Plans.

Can Excessive Contact Amount to Constructive Dismissal?

Potentially, but not automatically.

Repeated or oppressive contact that seriously aggravates a known health condition could form part of a wider argument that the employer breached its contractual duties.

Whether this amounts to a fundamental breach capable of supporting constructive dismissal depends on all the circumstances.

The fact that an employee is signed off with stress does not itself make reasonable employer contact unlawful.

Can I Be Dismissed Because Stress Stops Me Working?

Potentially.

An employer is not required to keep a job open indefinitely where an employee is genuinely unable to perform the role.

Long-term sickness dismissal is normally considered a capability issue.

However, current Acas guidance states that dismissal for long-term illness should be a last resort.

Before considering dismissal, an employer should normally investigate the position properly.

This may involve considering:

• Your Medical condition
• Length of absence
• Prognosis
• Expected return date
• Occupational health advice
• Your Own views
• Possible adjustments
• A Phased return
• Alternative duties
• Redeployment
• Impact of the absence on the organisation

What if My Stress Was Caused by the Employer?

This can be particularly relevant.

For example, the employer should investigate where stress appears to arise from:

• Excessive workload
• Bullying
• Harassment
• Unsafe working practices
• Management conduct
• Lack of support

If the employer could reasonably address the cause of the problem, failing to consider those steps may affect the fairness or lawfulness of a later dismissal.

For further guidance, see Bullying at Work.

What if I Am Disabled?

If your condition amounts to a disability, the employer must consider its Equality Act obligations before dismissing you.

These can include:

• Reasonable adjustments
• Discrimination arising from disability
• Indirect discrimination

A dismissal may be harder to justify where the employer has failed to explore reasonable steps that could enable you to return or remain in work.

Disability does not create an absolute prohibition on dismissal, but an employer must approach the situation carefully.

What if My Employer Does Not Believe I Am Suffering From Stress?

Your employer should not automatically treat an absence as misconduct merely because it questions whether your stress is genuine.

Where there is uncertainty about your health, it may be appropriate to consider:

• Fit notes
• Occupational health advice
• Medical reports
• Your Explanation
• Other available evidence

If evidence ultimately shows that an employee has dishonestly claimed to be sick when they were actually fit for work, that may raise a conduct issue.

However, genuine sickness absence should generally be managed as a health or capability matter rather than automatically as misconduct.

What is an Occupational Health Assessment?

An occupational health assessment can help your employer understand how your health affects your work.

It may advise on:

• Whether you are fit for work
• Likely timescale for returning
• Adjustments
• Reduced hours
• Phased return
• Changes to duties
• Alternative work

Occupational health can be particularly useful where the employer needs to understand both:

• Your Health needs
• The Practical requirements of your job

An occupational health report is advisory.

The employer remains responsible for its employment decisions and should consider the report alongside other relevant evidence.

For further guidance, see Sickness.

Could a Negotiated Exit Be Considered?

Sometimes an employee experiencing serious work-related stress concludes that returning to the existing employment relationship is no longer realistic.

In those circumstances, the employee and employer may potentially discuss an agreed termination.

Possible terms could include:

• Termination date
• Notice
• Financial compensation
• Accrued holiday
• Reference wording
• Confidentiality

If agreement is reached, the terms will commonly be recorded in a Settlement Agreement.

A settlement agreement normally requires you to waive specified employment claims.

For relevant statutory claims to be validly waived, you must receive the required advice from an appropriate independent adviser.

Should I Resign Before Trying to Negotiate?

This should be considered carefully.

Resignation can affect:

• Salary
• Notice rights
• Negotiating leverage
• Constructive dismissal arguments
• Compensation
• Other contractual benefits

If you believe your employer's conduct has caused or seriously aggravated your health problems, it may be important to understand your legal position before resigning.

There is no single approach that is right for every case.

The appropriate strategy will depend on your health, the workplace circumstances, the available evidence and what you want to achieve.