Employers risk losing talent as research revealed 78 percent of UK employees pointed to high levels of stress as a key reason for leaving a job.
Only salary was slightly more influential (79 percent) among employees when deciding to quit.
Less than half (49 percent) of employees agree that their employer has the right support in place for their mental health and 57 percent said workplace health and wellbeing schemes would encourage them to stay with their current employer.
The survey, carried out by WPI Economics on behalf of provider Unum UK, highlights the role stress can play in employee turnover. Statistics from the Health and Safety Executive show that 17.1 million days of sickness absence were due to work-related stress, depression and anxiety in 2023.
Liz Walker, COO at Unum UK, said: “Many employers have already recognised the need to support their staff as part of their wellbeing strategies. Indeed, data from Help@hand health and wellbeing app from Unum, shows that anxiety, depression and stress accounted for 76 percent of mental health appointments last year alone.
“It’s concerning enough to find that, without proper prevention and intervention in place, nearly 80 percent of the UK’s 30.4 million employees say workplace stress would influence them to seek another job. To then discover that work-related stress, depression and anxiety together account for almost half of work-related sickness absence is far worse.
“There’s still work to do for some employers, including introducing high-quality proactive measures to address and support workplace stress and overall mental health. By creating positive, supportive and inclusive working environments, employers can not only improve employee retention but also help foster a healthier, more engaged and productive workforce.”
