Stress Risk Assessments Last modified: April 23, 2026

What do Stress Risk Assessments mean in HR / Health & Safety?

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must assess risks to employees’ health—including stress—and take steps to control them.

The HSE’s Management Standards for Work-Related Stress highlight six key areas that should be reviewed in stress risk assessments:

• Demands – workload, work patterns, and environment.
• Control – how much say employees have in their work.
• Support – encouragement and resources from managers and colleagues.
• Relationships – preventing conflict and promoting positive working.
• Role – clarity about job responsibilities.
• Change – how organisational change is managed and communicated.

Stress risk assessments may be carried out for teams, departments, or individuals where concerns are raised.

Why do Stress Risk Assessments matter for your Business?

Failing to assess and manage stress can result in:

• High levels of sickness absence and turnover.
• Increased risk of long-term mental health conditions.
• Claims under employment law (e.g. constructive dismissal or disability discrimination).
• HSE enforcement action and reputational damage.

Proactive stress risk management can:

• Improve employee wellbeing, engagement, and productivity.
• Reduce absenteeism and presenteeism.
• Demonstrate compliance and protect against legal claims.

Beyond compliance, it also strengthens your wider people strategy. Businesses that actively manage workplace stress are more likely to retain talent, build trust with their teams, and create a culture where people feel supported to perform at their best.

Stress Risk Assessments – Best Practices

Employers should:

• Conduct regular organisational stress risk assessments to identify trends and emerging risks, rather than relying on one-off reviews.
• Use surveys, focus groups, or one-to-one discussions to gather evidence, ensuring employees feel comfortable sharing honest feedback.
• Apply the HSE Management Standards as a structured framework to assess key areas such as workload, control, support, relationships, role clarity, and change management.
• Record findings and implement practical, proportionate control measures that address the root causes of stress, not just the symptoms.
• Review regularly and adapt when circumstances change, such as periods of growth, restructuring, or increased workload.