Millions of employees in the UK may be struggling with their mental health not because of their own workload, but due to the stress, anxiety and pressure experienced by those around them.
The impact, described as “secondhand stress”, reflects how workplace pressure can spread across teams, affecting individuals who are not directly exposed to the original source of strain but are influenced by it through daily interactions.
Experts say it is becoming more visible as organisations face rising levels of work-related stress, with wider consequences for morale, productivity and retention.
An analysis by RRC International, a health and safety training provider, estimates that around 2.3 million workers could be experiencing second-hand stress, equivalent to roughly 7 percent of the UK workforce.
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Stress spreads beyond the individual
The estimate builds on official data showing that 964,000 workers reported experiencing stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by work. RRC said that within a typical team, more than a quarter of employees may be affected indirectly by colleagues’ stress levels.
This ripple effect is supported by broader research into workplace behaviour and physiology, which has found that stress can transfer between individuals through shared environments, communication patterns and emotional cues.
Academic studies have also linked exposure to stressed colleagues with elevated cortisol levels, suggesting that the impact is not only psychological but also physical.
The pressure on line managers is a particular concern. Separate data from Legal & General, a financial services and insurance company, has pointed to growing strain among managers responsible for supporting teams while managing their own workloads.
Richard Stockley, managing director at RRC International, said the issue often goes unnoticed despite its scale. “Secondhand stress is an underappreciated blight on our workforce, spreading through teams undetected and untreated.”
He said the headline figure may only capture part of the picture. “Even if 2.3m is the starting number, the scale of the problem is clear to see.”
Hidden impact on performance and wellbeing
The spread of stress within teams can affect how people perform and engage with their work, even if they are not directly experiencing high workloads themselves.
Stockley said the wider effects were significant for both individuals and organisations. “Now, we know that stress at work impacts people’s productivity, job satisfaction and purpose, and has much wider ramifications to their home lives too.”
He argued that organisations need to recognise stress as a shared issue rather than an individual one. “To combat this epidemic, workplaces and team leaders need to shift their mindset and realise how stress can impact a whole team, not just one individual.”
This broader view aligns with ongoing discussions around workplace wellbeing, where attention is increasingly turning to culture, team dynamics and management practices rather than focusing solely on individual resilience.
Calls for stronger workplace response
Addressing second-hand stress may require changes to how organisations monitor and respond to mental health risks, particularly at team level.
Stockley said action should focus on both prevention and support. “Decision makers need to implement the right culture and training, allowing the business to adapt, manage and remove as many of the stresses as they can.”
He added that tackling the issue could bring wider benefits. “In doing so, they protect their workers and show them they are valued, and they ensure their businesses are futureproofed against the threat of ‘second-hand stress’.”
The analysis draws on data from the Health and Safety Executive, the UK regulator for workplace health and safety, alongside research into line manager wellbeing and academic studies on stress transmission.
With reported cases of work-related stress already high, the suggestion that its effects extend far beyond those directly affected points to a wider challenge for organisations seeking to improve employee wellbeing.
