The theme of this years Stress Awareness Week is “Optimising Employee Wellbeing Through Strategic Stress Management,” this focuses on creating supportive workplace cultures that protect mental health and enhance performance.
Stress Awareness Week takes place from 3rd to 7th November 2025 across the UK. This year’s theme, “Optimising Employee Wellbeing Through Strategic Stress Management,” focuses on creating supportive workplace cultures that protect mental health and enhance performance.
Stress affects everyone differently. Factors such as age, experience, personal circumstances, disability or neurodiversity can all influence how people cope with stress. Employees may also face additional challenges such as poor housing, relationship issues, bereavement, isolation, or family health concerns — all of which can heighten vulnerability to workplace stress.
It’s important to distinguish between stress and pressure. While manageable pressure can motivate people to stay focused and productive, chronic stress can have the opposite effect. When a “stress culture” develops and excessive workloads become normalised, it can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, and increased absenteeism.
Stress should never be seen as a badge of honour. Sustainable performance depends on healthy workloads, psychological safety, and a supportive organisational culture.
Strategic stress management is an organisational approach that tackles the root causes of workplace stress rather than placing the burden solely on employees. Common causes include excessive workloads, poor communication, and strained working relationships — all of which can undermine morale and productivity.
A proactive strategy involves promoting open communication, improving job design, and training managers to recognise and respond effectively to early signs of stress.
Employers should stay alert to early indicators of stress so that problems can be addressed before they escalate. Signs may include:
A robust stress management strategy should include:
Neurodiversity is increasingly recognised within the workplace and often falls under the Equality Act 2010. Conditions such as ADHD, Autism, and Dyslexia can affect individuals differently, and reasonable adjustments may be required to help reduce stress and support performance.
Employers should approach the topic sensitively and create an environment where staff feel comfortable discussing their needs. Examples of reasonable adjustments include:
If you would like advice on reducing stress in the workplace, managing conflict, or making reasonable adjustments for employees, contact us – our team is here to help!