A quarter of UK workers - an estimated 8.5 million people - feel their jobs have a negative impact on their mental health (25%) or physical health (24%), according to the CIPD Good Work Index 2025.
The latest research shows the negative impact of work on wellbeing has remained stubbornly high for many people for the eight years the survey has been running, despite improvements for some employees on certain areas of job quality.
The CIPD Good Work Index, which provides the UK’s most in-depth annual survey of job quality, finds the strongest factors associated with unhealthy work are excessive workloads, excessive pressure (stress), poor relationships with colleagues and the quality of line management.
The analysis in the report, based on a survey of 5,000 working people, shows that employees who say work harms their mental health are:
- less likely to be satisfied with their jobs (37% compared with 93% for those who feel work impacts their mental health positively)
- more likely to voluntarily quit their roles in the next 12 months (34% vs 14%)
- less likely to be willing to work harder than they need to for their organisation (39% vs 69%)
It also shows just under half (46%) of working adults have experienced a physical health condition in the last 12 months, while 42% have experienced a mental health condition, with musculoskeletal problems (32%), anxiety (27%), sleep issues (27%) and depression (15%) the most common.
The CIPD’s findings are published as the UK Government seeks to understand how to keep more people healthy and in work through its Keep Britain Working review, in the context of rising health-related economic inactivity.
In response to the findings in the report, the CIPD is calling on employers to prioritise providing line managers with the development and support they need to manage people well, given their central role in managing workloads and stress and providing flexibility and support to staff.
Peter Cheese, chief executive at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:
“While certain aspects of job quality have improved for some workers, for a significant minority work isn’t getting better and is negatively impacting their health. This points to a real need to look beyond the symptoms of unhealthy work to its root causes, including job design and workload management, lack of awareness or capabilities in good people management, and the supportive cultures needed to help people give their best.
“There’s a clear business and moral case for prioritising wellbeing at work. It’s not just good for individuals, but helps boost employee performance and retention, as well as reducing health-related inactivity in the labour market.
“Tackling work-related stress, one of the main causes of sickness absence and associated with rising levels of economic inactivity, must be a priority for both employers and policy makers. The government’s efforts to encourage more focus on the wellbeing of the workforce will require more organisations to equip managers with the time and skills they need to manage people properly, and to keep people well and in work.”
The CIPD Good Work Index survey is based around seven measures of job quality: Pay and benefits, contracts and job security, job design, relationships at work, employee voice and health and wellbeing. Other key highlights from the report include:
- Just six in ten managers say they have the training and information (60%) or the time (59%) to manage their staff well. However, the proportion of people who feel they have a supportive manager if they have a problem has grown from 74% in 2023 to 79% in 2025, while 69% of workers feel their line manager is open and approachable on issues like mental health, compared to 63% in 2023.
- Cost of living pressures are slightly down: Overall, more people feel they can keep up with bills without difficulty, from 50% in 2024 to 54%.
- AI boosts performance when utilised: While just 16% of workers report tasks being automated by AI, the vast majority of those (85%) say this has improved their performance. Those whose tasks have been automated also report being more satisfied in their job and experience a positive effect of work on their mental wellbeing.
