April is Stress Awareness Month: Tackle Workplace Stress with Training
This April, Stress Awareness Month is shining a light on how Britain’s employers can prevent and reduce stress in their workplaces.
According to HSE statistics, in 2024/25, an estimated 964,000 workers were affected by stress, depression, or anxiety, resulting in 22.1 million lost working days.
With half of work-related ill health attributed to stress, depression, or anxiety, NLT Training Services is advising businesses to invest in workplace mental health training.
In addition to free tools and support offered through The Working Minds Campaign, there are also industry recognised courses like First Aid for Mental Health Level 2 and 3 and short eLearning courses available at NLT to help employers better understand workplace stress.
Investment in mental health training not only addresses and manage workplace stress amongst staff but also prevents it from developing.
The Working Minds campaign aims to support businesses and workers understand the best ways to prevent work related stress and encourage good mental health. The campaign is being supported by a number of industry bodies, including NEBOSH, Make UK, and the Scaffolding Association.
Why Address Workplace Stress?
There are three main reasons employers should focus on preventing work-related stress and supporting good mental health:
- Legal Obligation: It’s the law. All employers must prevent work-related stress to support good mental health in the workplace.
- Business Benefits: Managing stress can improve productivity, reduce sickness absence, and help retain valued team members.
- Ethical Responsibility: It’s the right thing to do for your employees’ well-being.
Kayleigh Roberts from HSE Engagement and Policy Division emphasises the importance of being proactive: “By being proactive, you can improve productivity, reduce sickness absence, and help retain valued workers. Employers are required to assess the risk of work-related stress impacting their workers and act on the risks identified.”
What Causes Stress in the Workplace
There are six main areas that can lead to work-related stress if not managed properly:
- Demands
- Control
- Support
- Relationships
- Role
- Change
Factors such as skills and experience, age, or disability may also affect someone’s ability to cope in the workplace.
The Working Minds Campaign
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Working Minds campaign provides a range of free tools and support to help businesses and workers understand the best ways to prevent work-related stress and encourage good mental health.
During Stress Awareness Month, employers are encouraged to focus on one of the campaign’s 5 Rs each week:
- Reach out and have conversations.
- Recognise the signs and causes of stress.
- Respond to any risks you’ve identified.
- Reflect on actions you’ve agreed and taken.
- Make it Routine.
Practical Steps and Resources
NLT Training Services offers a number of in-person and online courses designed to support employers in managing workplace stress:
- First Aid for Mental Health Level 2: This course covers the basics of mental health first aid, equipping participants with the skills to identify and address mental health issues.
- First Aid for Mental Health Level 3: This course provides in-depth knowledge and skills to support mental health in the workplace.
- Awareness of Mental Health and Wellbeing eLearning course: This provides a basic introduction for anyone with an interest in finding out more about mental health.
- Stress Management eLearning Course: An ideal short course for any organisation and can be utilised as part of a workplace’s health and wellbeing programme
HSE also has a range free Talking Toolkits, which can help line managers have simple, practical conversations with workers which can help prevent stress. HSE warns, however, the toolkits should not be used in isolation as company’s only measure for preventing stress.
Book your training now
Either book NLT’s training courses online or, if you don’t see what you are looking for, or you have identified a bespoke training need in your business, get in touch today.
