Workplace size and stress

Over the three-year period to 2014/15 larger organisations had significantly higher rates of work-related stress than small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The rate for larger enterprises was 1,550 cases per 100,000 people employed, compared with 1,280 cases for medium-sized enterprises with less than 250 employees and 910 cases for small enterprises with less than 50 employees.

The TUC 2016 survey of safety reps (see pages 6-7) found that stress was their top concern in workplaces of all sizes, with the problem cited by 66% of reps in workplaces with under 50 workers; 75% of reps in workplaces with 50-99 workers (a steep rise from 62% of reps in 2014); 64% of reps in workplaces with 100-199 workers; 74% of reps in those with 200-999 workers; and 73% of reps in workplaces with over 1000 workers.