Scottish employers told to tackle ‘hidden’ workplace health crisis after HSE data shows mental ill health drives absences

The useful part

Scottish employers are being urged to look beyond physical accidents when assessing workplace risks, as figures show stress, depression and anxiety account for half of all work-related ill health cases in the country. Of those cases, 50% involve stress, depression or anxiety, making mental health problems the largest category of work-related ill health recorded in the figures. The data has prompted workplace safety experts to warn that health and safety should not be viewed solely in terms of preventing physical accidents.

How it works

• "Traditionally, when people think about health and safety at work, the first things that come to mind are physical hazards such as machinery, working at height, slips and trips or manual handling.
• "Those risks remain extremely important, but these figures show why employers also need to think more broadly about workplace health.
• "Stress, depression and anxiety account for half of work-related ill health in Scotland.
• According to the HSE's Scotland statistics, an average of 3.3 million working days are lost to work-related ill health in Scotland each year.
• That means the category is responsible for approximately seven in every ten working days lost to work-related ill health.

What to take from it

Musculoskeletal disorders remain another significant problem, accounting for around 31% of work-related ill health cases in Scotland. The latest estimates are based on annual averages covering 2022/23 to 2024/25. McGuire said businesses should avoid viewing risk assessments simply as paperwork that can be completed and then forgotten.

Example or evidence

• Around 2.3 million of those days are attributed to stress, depression and anxiety.
• Overall, Scotland has an estimated 4,510 cases of work-related ill health for every 100,000 workers.
• That is statistically significantly below the equivalent Great Britain rate of 5,210 cases per 100,000 workers.
• However, the HSE says Scotland's overall prevalence rate has not changed significantly compared with the previous three-year period.

Details worth keeping

It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. John McGuire, Director at Velappity, a health and safety software provider that helps organisations digitise risk assessments, inspections and compliance processes, said businesses need to consider the full range of risks affecting their workforce. Employers should be looking at how work is organised, the demands being placed on employees and whether potential problems are being identified early enough." Millions of working days lost in Scotland The impact of work-related ill health is also being felt through workplace absence.

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