One in four workers say their job is damaging their mental health

A quarter of UK workers say their job has a negative impact on their mental health, with high workloads, stress and poor management emerging as some of the strongest factors associated with poorer workforce wellbeing.

The CIPD’s Good Work Index 2026, based on a survey of more than 5,000 working adults, found that 25 per cent believe work negatively affects their mental health, while 24 per cent report a negative impact on their physical health. By comparison, 37 per cent say their job has a positive effect on their mental health.

The findings strengthen the case for employers to look beyond standalone wellbeing initiatives and consider the role that job design, workload and management practices themselves play in employee health.

Thirty per cent of workers said their workloads were too high, while one in five said they always or often feel under excessive pressure and a quarter feel exhausted at work. These figures were higher among public sector workers.

Among employees who said their workloads were “far too high”, 70 per cent reported that work negatively affected their mental health. This compared with just 14 per cent among those who felt their workload was about right.

Similarly, 56 per cent of employees who were always or often stressed said work negatively affected their mental health, compared with 10 per cent of those who were rarely or never stressed.

The research also points towards the importance of workplace relationships and organisational culture. Some 44 per cent of employees who had experienced workplace conflict reported a negative mental health impact from work, compared with 19 per cent of those who had not.

Trust in leadership also appears to matter. More than half, 52 per cent, of employees who did not trust leaders to act with integrity said work negatively affected their mental health, compared with 15 per cent among those who did trust their leaders.

Line management was another significant dividing line.

Almost half, 48 per cent, of employees in the lowest-rated quartile for line management reported that work had a negative impact on their mental health. This fell to 14 per cent among employees with the highest-rated managers.

It comes as no surprise that the findings suggest manager capability should form a central part of workplace health and wellbeing strategies, rather than being treated separately from them. 

The business implications extend beyond employee health. Among workers who rated their managers in the top quartile, 89 per cent were satisfied with their jobs and 81 per cent would recommend their employer. Among those with the poorest-rated managers, the equivalent figures were just 38 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.

The report also draws a strong connection between the health impact of work and wider organisational outcomes.

Among workers who said their job positively affected their mental health, 92 per cent were satisfied with their job, compared with just 36 per cent of those reporting a negative mental health impact.

Workers experiencing a positive mental health impact were also substantially more likely to recommend their employer, at 71 per cent compared with 30 per cent, and more likely to say they were unlikely to leave their job, at 74 per cent compared with 45 per cent.

While the findings show associations, rather than proving that one factor directly causes another, they reinforce a growing workplace wellbeing argument: employers cannot rely on benefits and support services to compensate for unhealthy working conditions.

The CIPD said improving job quality can reduce sickness absence while supporting wellbeing, job satisfaction, motivation and performance. Its analysis identifies line management, leadership, opportunities to develop skills and meaningful work as among the factors most consistently associated with positive business outcomes.