'Deteriorating wellbeing' | Could better management ease the UK's workplace mental health crisis?

Weak line management could be worsening the UK’s workplace mental health crisis by exposing employees to greater work intensity and an increased risk of burnout, new research suggests.

The study, led by Bayes Business School at City St George’s, University of London, found that employees working under better-quality line managers reported significantly lower levels of work intensity.

The findings could have implications for employers’ occupational health strategies and the government’s Get Britain Working programme, with work-related stress, depression and anxiety accounting for more than 22 million lost working days in the UK each year.

Work intensity is considered a significant contributor to poor mental health and burnout, potentially damaging workforce productivity while placing further pressure on healthcare services.