Stress is Costing Businesses More Than They Realise – Here’s Why That Needs to Change
April is Stress Awareness Month, and if you work in marketing, events, hospitality, or pretty much any fast-paced industry, chances are you’ve felt the pressure.
But stress isn’t just an individual issue — it’s a business one.
According to the latest 2025 Workforce State of Mind Report by Headspace Health:
🌷 58% of employees have thought about quitting due to mental health struggles.
🌷 50% have cried over work-related issues.
And here’s the kicker: businesses aren’t doing enough to fix it.
The Mental Health Support Backslide
The same report found that fewer businesses are offering mental health benefits compared to previous years.
In 2023, 93% of HR leaders said they provided mental health support — now, it’s down to 89%.
It might not seem like a huge drop, but in a time when stress levels are through the roof, businesses pulling back on support is a bad move.
Employees are burning out, quitting, or disengaging. And when that happens, productivity, morale, and even company reputation take a hit.
Why Stress = A Business Problem
Still think stress is just an individual issue? Let’s break it down:
👥 High Turnover: Stressed employees leave. Recruiting and training replacements costs time and money.
📉 Lower Productivity: When people are overwhelmed, they don’t do their best work. Simple.
🩺 Increased Sick Days: Mental health struggles lead to more absenteeism—bad for business and bad for team morale.
The companies that invest in workplace well-being aren’t just doing the right thing; they’re winning.
They attract and retain better talent, have stronger teams, and ultimately perform better.
What Businesses Can Actually Do
If you’re a business owner, manager, or just someone who cares about workplace culture, here’s how to actually support your team (or yourself!):
🌷 Make Mental Health a Priority – If your business offers zero mental health support, that needs to change. Access to resources, counselling, and stress management tools should be standard.
🌷 Encourage Open Conversations – Stigma stops people from asking for help. Normalise talking about stress, burnout, and mental health at work.
🌷 Offer Flexibility – Strict 9-5s and rigid work structures don’t work for everyone. Allowing remote work, flexible hours, or mental health days can make a huge difference.
🌷 Train Managers Properly – A bad manager can make or break an employee’s well-being. Leaders need training on how to recognise stress and support their teams.
Work shouldn’t feel like survival mode. But for a lot of people, it does.
Stress Awareness Month is the perfect time for businesses to rethink their approach to mental health — not just for employees, but for the business itself.
Because when your team thrives, so does your business.
