Off the back of these findings, the charity is calling on Rishi Sunak to hold a national summit, bringing together government ministers, employers and experts to determine how we can create healthy workplaces and best support people to stay in or return to work if they’re struggling with stress and poor mental health.

It’s clear that something needs to be done. Though the causes of people taking time off work due to mental ill health can be complex, the research suggests that certain workplace patterns contribute to burnout. More than a third of working adults say they don’t feel comfortable letting their line managers or senior leaders know that they are experiencing extreme levels of stress at work, and if we’re unable to discuss how overwhelmed we’re feeling, how are we supposed to resolve things?

Factors found to cause stress and contribute to burnout included bullying or intimidation by colleagues, a high workload, working unpaid overtime and feeling isolated in the workplace. Of course, non-job factors play a role, too. Six in 10 people pointed to poor sleep as a reason for their stress, while others listed the financial uncertainty of the cost of living crisis, money worries in general, poor physical health and loneliness.

A “worrying” number of women are taking time off work due to stress