Suicide and the workplace - a step in the right direction

In November 2025, the HSE published their summary statistics for Great Britain indicating that 1.9 million workers reported suffering from work-related ill health in 2024/25, a 200,000 increase from 2023/24. Of those 1.9 million, 964,000 cases (over 50%) were attributable to stress, depression or anxiety, representing an increase of 188,000 from 2023/24.

Preventing work-related stress is a legal duty. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees. The scope of this duty embraces mental health and wellbeing. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, requires employers to assess risks and take reasonably practicable steps to prevent or reduce stress caused by work-related factors.

Mental health and wellbeing are sensitive and difficult subjects for both employers and employees to navigate. Publication by the British Standards Institution (BSI) of the UK’s first national standard on suicide awareness, prevention, intervention and support in workplaces is a welcomed development. The standard, which includes ‘toolkits’ intended for human resources professionals and line managers to assist them with tackling mental health and suicide, is a helpful means of informing and/or benchmarking an employer’s current arrangements.

The standard, which is freely available for organisations to download and use, is principles based and intended to have broad application. The key principles identified are:

1. Prevention;
2. Intervention;
3. Postvention (support after suicide);
4. Monitoring and review; and
5. Communication.

The HSE have also published a range of guidance, tools, and support mechanisms, which employers are encouraged to consult to inform their arrangements for managing work-related stress.