The UK’s half of employees experience anxiety at work

According to a new study by Corndel, half of British employees admit to experiencing anxiety at work because of workloads, pressures and the need to balance their professional and personal lives.

For its Corndel 2025 workplace study, the training provider surveyed 1,000 employees and 250 HR decision makers. The report found that 64% experienced anxiety at least once per week among those aged 18-34, while 32% of people over 55 years old did. They attributed stress to heavy workloads, time pressures, and balancing their work and personal lives (54%).

One-half of HR leaders admit to experiencing workplace anxiety on a daily basis, while one-half experience it weekly. Nine in 10 HR leaders who have implemented policies on work-life balance and leadership training for reducing workplace anxiety are satisfied with the results. Leadership training (97%) as well as goal setting (96%) were two interventions that had a positive impact.

Only 43% of employees said they received resilience training within the last year. 34% described it as minimal. Although 84% of employees rated mental health support as important to their performance and satisfaction, 55% reported that they had received no training.

Amanda Blackmore is the director of HR at Corndel. She said, “Workplace anxiety affects not only employees, but also leaders who support them. The constant pressure of balancing the wellbeing of employees with workplace demands can be overwhelming. Leaders often find themselves managing their team’s stress while dealing with their own work pressures and anxiety.

We’ve found that investing in the development of leaders not only improves the support they provide to their teams, but also increases their resilience. This leads to an increase in retention, morale and productivity. Organisations that are proactive in integrating leadership training and aligned wellness initiatives into their workplace culture will be competitive.

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