The latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive paint a stark picture of workplace wellbeing across Britain. Mental health conditions have firmly established themselves as the leading cause of work-related illness, affecting nearly one million workers during 2024/25. For men in particular, this represents a challenge that many still struggle to acknowledge, let alone address.
The Scale of the Problem
Nearly 964,000 workers reported experiencing stress, depression, or anxiety directly caused or worsened by their work during the 2024/25 period. This staggering figure reveals a troubling truth: our workplaces are making us ill. More concerning still, 409,000 employees developed brand new cases of work-related mental health conditions during this time. These aren’t pre-existing problems simply continuing—they’re fresh cases emerging directly from workplace pressures.
The numbers tell us something else, too. These rates exceed the levels recorded in 2018/19, before the pandemic turned our working lives upside down. Many assumed that as we moved past COVID-19, workplace mental health would stabilise. Instead, it’s worsened.
Beyond Mental Health: The Physical Toll
Whilst mental health dominates the statistics, physical conditions continue to affect hundreds of thousands of workers. Musculoskeletal disorders—problems with muscles, bones, tendons, and joints—struck 511,000 employees during the same period. Of these, 173,000 represented new cases.
Think about what this means in practical terms. A warehouse worker develops chronic back pain from repetitive lifting. An office worker suffers neck problems from poor desk setup. A construction worker’s knees give out after years of kneeling on hard surfaces. These aren’t minor inconveniences. They’re life-changing conditions that limit what people can do, both at work and at home.
Overall, approximately 1.9 million workers suffered from work-related ill health during 2024/25. This figure has remained stubbornly consistent over recent years, suggesting that current workplace health strategies aren’t making the dent they need to.
The Hidden Cost
Here’s where these statistics become truly sobering. Work-related illness and injuries led to an estimated 40.1 million working days lost in 2024/25. That’s not just bad for workers—it’s catastrophic for businesses and the economy. Yet the human cost matters far more than the financial one.
Behind every lost working day sits a real person. Someone is too scared to leave the house in time for their child’s school play. They can’t play football on the weekends because their back won’t let them. Someone who is wide awake at 3 a.m. and dreading Monday morning.
Why Men Need to Pay Attention
Traditionally, men have been less likely to acknowledge mental health struggles or seek help. The “man up” mentality runs deep in British culture, particularly among certain age groups and industries. Construction, logistics, manufacturing—these male-dominated sectors often foster environments where admitting vulnerability feels impossible.
Yet the statistics don’t discriminate. Stress, depression, and anxiety affect men just as severely as anyone else. The difference? Men often wait longer to seek support, by which time their condition has deteriorated significantly. This delay can transform a manageable problem into a crisis.
Consider the typical warning signs: increased irritability, difficulty sleeping, loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed, persistent fatigue, trouble concentrating. Many men dismiss these symptoms as temporary stress or “just having a bad week.” However, when these feelings persist and clearly link to workplace pressures, they demand attention.
What’s Driving Workplace Mental Health Issues?
Several factors contribute to the mental health crisis in British workplaces. Understanding them helps us tackle the problem more effectively.
Workload and Time Pressures: A lot of workers have too much work to do and deadlines that aren’t realistic. Over the past ten years, the pressure to do more with less has grown. When you’re constantly firefighting, never catching up, and sacrificing personal time to meet demands, something has to give. Usually, it’s your mental health.
Job Insecurity: Economic uncertainty makes people anxious about their future. Redundancy rounds, restructures, and the gig economy have eroded traditional job security. This constant background worry takes a toll, even when you’re performing well.
Poor Management: Bad bosses damage mental health. Micromanagement, lack of support, unclear expectations, and absence of recognition all contribute to workplace stress. When you feel undervalued and unsupported, motivation crumbles and anxiety builds.
Lack of Control: Feeling powerless in your role breeds frustration and stress. If you can’t influence decisions affecting your work or have no autonomy in how you complete tasks, dissatisfaction grows.
Work-Life Imbalance: The boundaries between work and personal life have blurred dramatically. Smartphones keep us permanently accessible. Emails arrive at all hours. Many feel they can never truly switch off, leading to exhaustion and burnout.
Recognising the Warning Signs
Early recognition makes a massive difference. If you’re experiencing several of these symptoms, it’s time to take action:
- Persistent tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Increased alcohol consumption
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Difficulty making decisions
- Reduced productivity at work
- Physical symptoms like headaches or stomach problems with no clear medical cause
- Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
- Loss of confidence
These symptoms don’t appear overnight. They accumulate gradually, which is why many people don’t notice until they’re struggling significantly. Regular self-assessment helps catch problems early.
Taking Action: What You Can Do
Acknowledging you need support takes courage, but it’s absolutely vital. Here are practical steps you can take:
Talk to Someone: This sounds obvious, yet it’s often the hardest step. Choose someone you trust—a friend, family member, or colleague. Simply articulating how you feel can provide relief and perspective. Men’s Prosperity Club, a mental health support group operating throughout the UK, offers a safe space specifically for men to discuss their struggles. These groups understand the unique challenges men face when dealing with mental health issues and provide peer support without judgement.
Speak with Your GP: Your doctor can look at your situation and talk about your treatment options. This might include counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, or medication if appropriate. Don’t minimise your symptoms or pretend everything’s fine during the appointment. Be honest about how you’re feeling and how it’s affecting your life.
Use Workplace Resources: Many employers now offer Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) providing confidential counselling and support. There are services like these that can help you, and using them won’t hurt your career. Find out what your company has to offer and use it.
Set Boundaries: Learn to say no. You don’t have to take on every extra task or work every evening. Protecting your personal time isn’t selfish—it’s essential for maintaining your health. Turn off work emails outside office hours. Take proper lunch breaks. Use your holiday allowance.
Prioritise Physical Health: Regular exercise, decent sleep, and proper nutrition significantly impact mental wellbeing. Even a 20-minute walk daily can make a noticeable difference to your mood and stress levels.
Address Workplace Issues: If specific work factors are causing your problems, raise them with your manager or HR department. Employers have a legal duty of care towards employees’ mental health. Request a stress risk assessment or discuss reasonable adjustments to your role.
The Role of Employers
Whilst individual action matters, employers must shoulder significant responsibility. Creating mentally healthy workplaces requires genuine commitment, not just token gestures.
Proactive Mental Health Policies: Organisations need clear, accessible mental health policies that go beyond compliance. Regular mental health training for all staff, particularly managers, helps create awareness and reduces stigma.
Reasonable Workloads: Employers must ensure workloads remain manageable. Regularly reviewing demands on staff and adjusting them when necessary prevents burnout.
Supportive Management: Managers need training in recognising mental health issues and responding appropriately. A supportive, understanding manager can make all the difference to someone struggling.
Open Culture: Fostering a workplace culture where people feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of judgement or career consequences is crucial. Talking about their own experiences as a senior leader can help make these conversations more normal.
Looking Forward
The statistics from the Health and Safety Executive serve as both a warning and a call to action. Work-related mental health problems won’t go away on their own. They require sustained, systematic effort from individuals, employers, and policymakers.
For men specifically, breaking down the cultural barriers around mental health remains essential. Seeking help isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. Looking after your mental health doesn’t make you less of a man; it makes you a smarter one.
The 964,000 workers suffering from work-related mental health conditions represent real people with families, responsibilities, and lives beyond work. Each of them deserves support, understanding, and the opportunity to recover.
If you’re struggling, remember that organisations like Men’s Prosperity Club exist specifically to support men through mental health challenges. You don’t have to face this alone. Reaching out takes strength, and recovery is absolutely possible.
The workplace mental health crisis won’t solve itself overnight. However, by acknowledging the problem, seeking support when needed, and pushing for genuine change in workplace culture, we can begin to reverse these troubling trends. Your mental health matters. Your wellbeing matters. Don’t wait until you’re in crisis to take action.
The statistics are clear. The challenge is real. But so is the solution—and it starts with conversation, support, and the courage to prioritise your health above everything else.
