We spend a significant part of our lives at work. So it is difficult to imagine that what happens there has no impact on how we feel, how we think and, ultimately, how we function.

A healthy working environment can offer far more than a salary: stability, a sense of purpose, social connection and the satisfaction of knowing that we are growing and making a meaningful contribution. But when day-to-day working life is dominated by constant pressure, excessive workloads, unclear responsibilities, a lack of autonomy or inappropriate behaviour, work can become a major source of psychological strain.

And the consequences extend beyond the individual employee.

When someone experiences prolonged periods of intense workplace stress, their concentration, communication, creativity and performance can all suffer. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 12 billion working days are lost every year due to depression and anxiety, with a substantial impact on productivity.

What can businesses do?

The answer is not simply to introduce a wellness programme.

Research into burnout highlights the importance of the working environment itself: workload, the degree of control employees have over their work, recognition, relationships with colleagues, fairness and whether their work aligns with their personal values.

In practice, businesses can start with the fundamentals: clearly defined roles and expectations, manageable workloads, open and meaningful communication, respect for personal boundaries and a workplace culture where employees feel safe raising concerns without fearing negative consequences for speaking up.

The World Health Organization also recommends that organisations address psychosocial risks through the way work is designed, managed and organised, rather than relying solely on initiatives aimed at individual employees.

Ultimately, mental health at work is not simply an HR issue, nor is it a conversation to be had once a year on 10 October.

It is an integral part of how a business chooses to operate every day. And sometimes, it starts with one very simple question:

“Can our people do their jobs well without their work leaving them exhausted?”