According to a new report by training provider Corndel, half of British workers experience workplace anxiety. Many cite excessive workloads and time pressures as well as difficulties in balancing work and personal obligations.
Especially young workers are affected by this anxiety, as 64 percent of them attribute it to poor management.
One in five HR professionals experience workplace anxiety every day, and the other half report it at least one time a week. Employees continue to report stress related to management factors, despite 88 percent HR leaders expressing confidence.
The 2025 Workplace Report by highlights the impact of workplace anxiety and stress. It notes that in 2023/24 16.4 million days of work were lost because stress or depression at work. The report shows that while many executives see geopolitical instability to be the biggest risk to the growth of their business, low morale and productivity issues are more immediate threats to the sustainability of an organisation.
Management Practices and Employee Welfare
According to the report, younger workers are most affected. 64 percent of employees between 18 and 34 years old reported workplace anxiety at least one time a week compared with 32 percent for those over 55. The report found that employees attributed the majority of their stress to heavy workloads, time pressures (54%) and balancing personal and work life (36%) as well as a lack of clarity and direction from management (26%).
Poor management is cited by 31 percent of respondents as the main factor that affects productivity. Lack of resources (31%), and excessive meetings (29%), were also identified by respondents as challenges to productivity.
Despite the high level of confidence HR leaders have in their existing training initiatives only 43 percent reported that they had received resilience training within the last year. 34 percent described this training as minimal. Although 84 percent believe that mental health support is crucial to their job satisfaction, and 55 percent said they have not received such training, this is despite the fact that HR leaders are confident in existing training initiatives.
Leadership Training
According to the report, organisations that implement work-life policies and receive leadership training see positive results. Among HR managers who have implemented measures to reduce workplace stress, 97 per cent reported that leadership training was beneficial, 96 per cent cited improvement from goal-setting, and 95percent observed positive changes as a result of work-life policies.
Amanda Blackmore is the Director of HR and People at Corndel. She said: “Workplace anxiety affects not only employees, but also leaders who support them. In my conversations with HR professionals across industries, the challenges are similar – finding a balance between employee wellbeing and workplace demands is always a challenge. Leaders often find it difficult to balance the demands of their workplace with the needs of their employees. “This is where targeted training in leadership makes a big difference.”
McKinsey’s research suggests that investing in employee health, well-being, and human skill development could unlock PS9.1 trillion of global economic value. This represents a potential 12 per cent increase in the global GDP. Even 10 percent of the value would generate PS912 billion per year.
Blackmore said, “We have seen that investing into leadership development helps leaders not only better support their team but also strengthens the resilience of their own, leading to an improved retention, morale and productivity.” Organisations that are proactive in integrating leadership training and aligned wellbeing initiatives into their business will gain a competitive edge.
