Rise in stress-related illness at work

The annual report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for 2022/23 has found that of the 1.8 million workers who reported they were suffering from work-related ill health, half of the cases were the result of stress, depression or anxiety.

Indeed, these three conditions constitute the number one reason for work-related illness in the UK and are on the rise, according to the HSE.

Although the rate of self-reported work-related ill health had been broadly flat in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, the current rate for cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety is now higher than it was in 2018/19, standing at an estimated 875,000 workers.

In all, 17.1 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety over this time period. Industries with higher-than-average rates include human health/social work, public admin/defence, and education.

An estimated 35.2 million working days were also lost in 2022/23 due to self-reported work-related ill health or injury.

In terms of occupational lung disease, the HSE estimates that 12,000 lung disease deaths each year can be linked to past exposures at work. In 2021, 2,268 workers died from mesothelioma, with a similar number of lung cancer deaths linked to past exposure to asbestos.

Over the last three years, there were 19,000 new cases of breathing or lung problems caused or made worse by work, according to self-reports from the Labour Force Survey.

In addition, according to the HSE report, 135 workers were killed in work-related accidents in 2022/23. It does not compare with previous years, but according to Statista (a website portal for market data), 123 workers died from injuries in 2021/22. Over the same period, 561,000 workers sustained a self-reported non-fatal injury in the workplace.

HSE’s statistics also reveal the impact of work-related ill health and workplace injuries on Britain’s economic performance.

In 2021/22, the estimated annual costs of workplace injury and new cases of work-related ill health reached £20.7 billion, representing a £1.9 billion increase compared with 2019/20.

To access the report in more detail, click here

To access more details on HSE’s work-related mental health campaign, Working Minds, click here