EX, Engagement & Stress at Work: What You Need to Know

April is Stress Awareness Month – and it couldn’t be more relevant.
Katie Austin

Minutes
1st April
Wellbeing
Employee Engagement
Employee Experience

With work-related stress and anxiety at record highs, organisations can no longer afford to view stress as a personal issue. Over 17 million working days are lost each year due to stress-related absence. That’s not just a wellbeing issue – it’s a business one.


At The EX Space, we believe that how people experience work is a huge part of the stress equation. If we want to tackle stress, we need to go beyond surface-level perks and address the root causes.

According to the latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), over 875,000 UK workers reported stress, depression or anxiety linked to work in the past year alone – making it the leading cause of work-related ill health. It’s not just affecting individuals; it’s impacting teams, productivity, and retention too. 

There’s no single cause of rising workplace stress, but we’re seeing clear patterns emerge. The pace and pressure of work have accelerated, often without the systems, support or clarity people need to keep up. Hybrid working has brought flexibility but also blurred boundaries. While mental health initiatives have become more visible, they often sit alongside systems and experiences that still contribute to stress. And many organisations are still playing catch-up when it comes to designing inclusive, human-centred experiences. When expectations are high but experiences fall short, stress is the inevitable outcome.

That’s where a more joined-up, experience-led approach can really make a difference.

How employee experience impacts workplace stress

Stress often stems from things like unclear expectations, lack of autonomy, or inequitable treatment – all of which tie into poor EX. When employees are engaged and feel empowered, they’re more likely to thrive, speak up, and support each other.

Great EX doesn’t mean removing stress entirely – it means creating the kind of environment where people feel safe, seen, and supported when it shows up.

Three small actions with big impact:

  • Create safe spaces for honest conversations – about workload, pressure, and how people really feel.
  • Champion flexibility – from schedules to working styles, small shifts can make a huge difference.
  • Equip your managers – they set the tone. Let’s make sure they’ve got the right tools and backup.

Looking for help?

You’re in the right place.

If you're an Essentials member, you’ve already got access to a range of tips and tools to help you tackle everyday EX challenges. You can also watch our webinar on 'mastering resilience', where we tackle wellbeing head on and explore practical ways to reduce stress and build healthier workplaces.

Want to dive deeper? Pro members get access to even more – including unlimted tools and templates, bitesize courses, expert-led masterclasses.

And don't forget pro members also get our bitesize course centred around understanding and developing your wellbeing.

If you're not already a member and still not sure which tier is right for you, then book a free, no-obligation tour and we’ll walk you through what’s on offer and see how it could best support your goals.