Is stress a big issue at work?

Yes:

• Around 5 million workers suffer from high levels of stress at work, or 1 in 5 employees in the UK (HSE figures). Almost half a million of those believe it makes them ill.
• Employees suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety take an average of 26 days off sick a year, with an estimated 9.8 million lost work days in 2009/10. Estimates of the annual cost to employers range between £3.7 and £5 billion.
• Stress is consistently one of the main issues raised in TUC surveys of safety reps.