What the published evidence tells us about rest, stress and work in Britain.
A review of published UK evidence on rest, stress and work, bringing together figures from the Health and Safety Executive, RAND Europe, Deloitte, the NHS and the CIPD. Every statistic is attributed to its original source.
The headline figures
16.4
million
working days lost in a year to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in Great Britain
Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 2023/24
£40bn
the estimated annual cost of insufficient sleep to the UK economy, around 1.86% of GDP
RAND Europe (Hafner et al.), 2016
£51bn
the estimated annual cost of poor mental health to UK employers
Deloitte UK, 2024
63%
of employees reported at least one characteristic of burnout, up from 51% in 2021
Deloitte UK, 2024
Key findings
In 2023/24 the Health and Safety Executive recorded 776,000 workers in Great Britain suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. Together these accounted for 46% of all work-related ill health and an estimated 16.4 million lost working days, more than half of all days lost to ill health that year.
RAND Europe estimated that insufficient sleep costs the UK economy up to £40 billion a year, equivalent to around 1.86% of GDP, with roughly 200,000 working days lost annually through a mix of absenteeism and reduced performance at work.
Deloitte estimated the cost of poor mental health to UK employers at around £51 billion a year. In the same research, 63% of employees reported at least one characteristic of burnout, up from 51% in 2021, while employers saw an average return of £4.70 for every £1 invested in mental health and wellbeing support.
The NHS advises adults to aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night and points to consistent routines, wind-down time and limiting stimulants as practical steps. RAND Europe found that people sleeping under six hours a night had a 13% higher mortality risk than those in the 7 to 9 hour range, underlining why rest is treated as a workplace wellbeing issue and not only a personal one.
The data, visualised
Estimated cost in £ billions per year
RAND Europe (Hafner et al.), 2016
Deloitte UK, 2024
Employees reporting at least one characteristic of burnout
Deloitte, 2024
Higher mortality risk by average nightly sleep, compared with the 7 to 9 hour range
RAND Europe, 2016
Expert perspective
"Sleep deprivation leads to a higher mortality risk and lower productivity levels among the workforce, which, when combined, has a significant impact on a nation's economy."
RAND Europe, Why Sleep Matters, 2016
"For every £1 spent on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce, employers get back, on average, about £4.70 in increased productivity."
Deloitte UK, Mental health and employers, 2024
A note from LOOM
The pattern across these independent sources is consistent. Sleep and stress are not soft issues at the edges of work, they sit close to its centre, with costs measured in billions and in lost days. We compiled this report to bring the public evidence together in one place. It is a starting point for a conversation about rest at work, not medical advice. Anyone with persistent sleep problems or low mood should speak to a qualified healthcare professional.
Methodology
This report is a review of existing, published statistics. LOOM did not commission or conduct primary research, and no figure here is a LOOM survey result.
We selected widely used, publicly available sources from recognised organisations: the Health and Safety Executive for work-related ill health, RAND Europe for the economics of insufficient sleep, Deloitte for the cost of poor mental health to employers, the NHS for sleep guidance, and the CIPD for workplace absence trends. Where sources use different years or methods, we have noted the year alongside each figure rather than blending them.
Every statistic is reproduced with attribution and links to its original publication in the sources list below. If you spot anything that needs correcting, please contact our press office.
Sources
Media kit
Journalists and partners are welcome to use these figures with attribution to the original source. The assets below package the report for different formats.
Questions
Read more
How Workplace Stress Affects Your Sleep
The two-way relationship between job pressure and rest, and what the evidence shows.
The Cost of Poor Sleep to UK Workplaces
How lost sleep shows up on the balance sheet, from absence to reduced performance.
Sleep, Stress and Productivity at Work
Why rest is now treated as a workplace wellbeing issue, not only a personal one.
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