Workplace Mental Health Statistics 2025: Stress, Bullying & Inclusion

Workplace Mental Health Statistics

Workplace mental health has become a priority for employers worldwide. Across industries and continents, studies show that mental health challenges are affecting productivity, staff retention, and overall workplace culture. Factors such as high workloads, unrealistic deadlines, workplace bullying, discrimination, and lack of organisational support are consistently linked to increased rates of stress, anxiety, and depression among employees.

1 in 5 workers report feeling “always” or “often” stressed by work, making stress one of the most common workplace health challenges. (Statistics NZ, 2020). In 2020, New Zealand lost 7.3 million working days to work absence, costing the economy $1.85 billion, with 22% of employees still going to work while sick (Southern Cross Health Insurance & Business NZ).

Moreover, 42.4% of employees reported high psychosocial risks such as job strain and depression, with bullying and lack of inclusion identified as major contributing factors (NZ Workplace Barometer). Not only this, 2 in 5 workers believe they have been bullied during their careers, and 84% have experienced some form of cyber abuse, most of which goes unreported. (Workplace Bullying Reports, 2018–2022). Let’s explore more mind-boggling statistics related to global mental health awareness and incidents.

Global Overview of Workplace Mental Health

Reports from the UK, Australia, and OECD reveal worrying patterns: younger employees report higher rates of diagnosed mental health conditions, minority groups face disproportionate challenges, and certain industries show consistently higher prevalence rates. In the UK, 61% of employees have experienced a mental health issue (fully or partly) due to work, and 45% believe their organisation handles support for mental health well (UK’s Mental Health at Work Survey).

According to the UK’s Mental Health at Work Survey, 37% of UK employees aged 18–29 have been formally diagnosed with a mental health condition, compared to 29% of those over 50, highlighting a generational difference in prevalence. Moreover, among LGBT+ employees in the UK, 81% have experienced a mental health condition, with 72% linking it directly to workplace factors.

According to the PwC Australia Study, the industries with the highest rates of mental health conditions in the previous year were finance & insurance, electricity, gas & waste, and information, media & telecommunications. People are campaigning for raising awareness and stressing the need to implement more reforms and policies. Key global workplace stressors include high workload, unrealistic deadlines, bullying, discrimination, and lack of role support, all linked to increased depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

General Mental Health Trends

When it comes to broadening the parameters to analyse the mental health trends globally, here’s what we can find:

• 1 in 4 New Zealand workers are categorised as “flourishing,” with strong links to higher income, job satisfaction, work-life balance, and feeling appreciated. (2015 Study)
• 20% of workers report feeling “always” or “often” stressed by work. (Statistics NZ, Survey of Working Life)
• 64% of organisations say workplace stress has increased, with Covid-19 identified as a major contributor. (Southern Cross Health Insurance & Business NZ)
• In 2020, NZ lost 7.3 million working days to absence, costing the economy $1.85 billion, despite 22% of employees still going to work while sick (presenteeism). (Southern Cross Health Insurance & Business NZ)

Depression & Psychological Distress at Work

Depression and psychological distress are one of the common illnesses that many employees who work under pressure and in poorly structured organizations experience. Here are some of the prominent findings:

• 42.4% of employees face high psychosocial risks such as job strain and depression. (NZ Workplace Barometer, 2020)
• In 2018, 27% of workers reported feeling depressed most of the time, and 64% experienced restless sleep disturbance, a symptom of depression. (NZ Workplace Barometer)
• Work-family conflict, workplace bullying, and lack of inclusion are major drivers of depression and distress in NZ workplaces. (NZ Workplace Barometer)
• Workplaces with a high Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) report significantly lower rates of depression, psychosocial distress, and other mental health issues. (NZ Workplace Barometer)

Workplace Bullying & Cyberbullying

Bullying remains a serious and persistent problem in New Zealand workplaces, with recent data showing an upward trend in prevalence. In the 2022 Workplace Barometer Survey, two in five workers reported having been bullied at some point in their careers; a sharp rise from one in five reported in earlier studies. Nearly 25% had witnessed others being bullied, down from 40% in 2020, suggesting that while more people are recognising personal experiences of bullying, bystander reporting may be declining.

There are some sectors that have reported a higher bullying rate. A 2009 study found that education (22%), health (18%), hospitality (15%), and travel (11%) had the highest prevalence of workplace bullying. Stress levels in these industries are also alarming, with 81% of education workers and 77% of health workers reporting high stress, compared to 50% in hospitality.

The most common bullying behaviours reported include:

• Withholding information that affects job performance.
• Ignoring or excluding colleagues.
• Persistent criticism or undermining of work.

Moreover, cyberbullying is also on the rise. With youth and youngsters spending more time online and connecting through countless mobile apps, it has opened doors to cyberbullying. A 2018 survey revealed that 84% of workers had experienced some form of cyber abuse, with nearly half experiencing more than one type. Alarmingly, 75.5% of these cases went unreported to employers, with most victims believing that speaking up would not lead to any change.

Diversity, Inclusion & Bias Statistics

Effective diversity and inclusion policies are becoming essential to modern workplaces, especially in Aotearoa, where ensuring well-being, reducing bias, and offering flexibility are now top priorities for organisations. Yet many employees still face barriers to fair hiring, career growth, and representation, especially if they’re neurodivergent or Māori. Here's what we can gather related to diversity and inclusion statistics:

• Wellbeing, bias, and flexibility are the top three diversity issues organisations prioritise: wellbeing across the board at 75.4%, bias at 62.1%, and flexibility at 53.8% in 2022 (Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand).
• 62.1% of employees feel that bias impacts decision-making in their organisations a jump from 57.3% in the previous year.
• 13.1% of respondents identify as neurodivergent, and 32.1% of them believe their neurodiversity negatively affects their career development.
• One-third of neurodivergent workers say their condition has harmed their career progression, and 63% report their employer is unaware of their neurodiversity. Additionally, just 17% believe senior leaders are equipped to manage a neurodiverse workforce.

Conclusion

Workplace bullying, cyberbullying, and broader diversity and inclusion challenges remain persistent barriers to building safe, equitable, and thriving work environments. While data reveals concerning trends, the insights also provide a roadmap for change. Organisations that take a proactive, data-driven approach to fostering inclusion, addressing negative behaviours, and supporting all employees will not only improve well-being but also unlock stronger engagement, retention, and innovation.