Stress at work? Join the (employment tribunal claim) queue

Out of 9,850 cases that reached a final judgment in the tribunal in the year to October 2025, 1,185 involved workplace stress, according to analysis by commercial law firm TWM Solicitors.

Oliver Milton, employment solicitor at TWM, said: ‘Employee stress and burnout are becoming increasingly common, and many employers are beginning to encounter staff affected by long-term work-related stress.

‘While some employers respond appropriately, others fail to properly notice when stress becomes a persistent issue for an employee, which is often where problems arise.’

One reason for the high numbers of stress-related claims may be the weak economy, Milton said, as it creates extra personal pressure on employees with a resultant impact on their work performance. Employers are making staff cutbacks, fuelling uncertainty in the workplace and heaping extra work on the staff that are left.

There is also a ‘cycle’ effect, where high stress levels contribute to higher staff turnover, reduced morale and lower productivity, leaving remaining employees under greater pressure.

Milton warned employers to watch out for situations where stress reaches a point where it could be considered a disability. This is where it has a substantial effect on a person’s normal day-to-day activities and has, or will likely, last for 12 months or more or could recur, Milton said. In that situation, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments, such as reducing workloads or providing support, or could find themselves exposed to disability discrimination and unfair dismissal claims.