Stress at work: Free resources to help improve health and compliance

April is stress awareness month and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has shared a range of practical tools to help employers understand and address stress in the workplace.

The regulator says that work-related stress is one of the leading causes of ill health at work, with nearly 1 million workers reporting stress, depression, or anxiety related to their jobs in 2024/25.

Moreover, a recent survey by Trade Direct Insurance suggests that 42% of landscapers think work is harming their mental health – the joint third highest proportion among all trades – and the cost of materials is the top driver of stress for landscapers, with 31% saying this is a concern.

However, the HSE says that stress at work is preventable, and as an employer, you have a legal duty to manage these risks, specifically to:

• Assess risks and identify vulnerable workers
• Reduce or eliminate stress risks where possible
• Manage stress proactively, just as you would with other health and safety risks

To help achieve these duties, the regulator has set out a range of actions which employers can take, both immediately and throughout April and beyond:

Actions for today:

• Update your stress risk assessment by the end of this month
• Ensure managers are confident in addressing stress in their teams
• Review workloads, support systems, and organisational changes

Actions for stress awareness month and beyond:

• Adopt the 5Rs Framework: Reach Out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, and Make it Routine. This framework integrates stress prevention into your daily management practices.
• Review HSE Management Standards: Assess key areas in your stress risk assessment: demands, control, support, relationships, role, and change.
• Access resources and support: Get free tools like the Stress Talking Toolkit and online learning modules to facilitate conversations and drive immediate action. All tools are available here: Working Minds Resources.