Please be aware this blog discusses various aspects of suicide and bereavement in the workplace. 

More than 7,000 people sadly die by suicide in the UK each year. Of this figure, many are working-age adults. The British Standards Institution (BSI) has introduced the first standard dedicated to suicide prevention in the workplace. Our employment and health and safety teams look at the new standard against the regulatory framework and what that means for employers.

Work-related stress, job insecurity, and high-pressure environments directly contribute to poor mental health – all of which can be a precursor of suicidal intention. Suicide is no longer a purely personal issue, outside the remit of employers, and increasingly can also be a workplace issue, linked to stress, psychological safety, management and organisational culture.

Suicide is one of the most sensitive and complex issues any organisation can face. Recent figures from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimate that 1.9 million workers in the UK suffered from work-related ill health in 2024/25. Most of this figure were cases of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety.

However, suicide is not currently reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), so current data may not capture the full impact of suicide linked to work-related stressors. 
The HSE has, in recent years, turned its focus to work-related stress, depression and anxiety. ‘Stress’ is defined by the HSE as “a harmful reaction that people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work”.

In 2021, the HSE launched the Working Minds campaign. The campaign raised awareness of an employer’s legal duty to prevent stress and support good health; repeatedly emphasised that preventing work-related stress is the law, not a wellbeing extra; and recruited 30+ partner organisations, which created a community of employers actively promoting mental health compliance and sharing best practice.

More recently, Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) has launched a new initiative with North Sea oil and gas leaders to tackle the alarmingly higher suicide risk among offshore workers (a group estimated to be 15 times more likely to die by suicide than those working onshore due to isolation, high pressure conditions, and limited access to support). The sector currently faces strain as the North Sea is being rapidly decommissioned, creating economic and political uncertainty.

Whilst the HSE does not specifically consider work-related suicide at present, its 2025-2026 business plan makes clear that reducing work-related ill health and stress is one of its top priorities. It emphasises that psychosocial risks (bullying, job insecurity, discrimination, and excessive work stress) can contribute to suicidal ideation.

Legislative framework

Unmanaged psychological risk can contribute to severe outcomes; if mental health risks are foreseeable and unmanaged, employers may be in breach of health and safety law. 

In the UK, employers must protect employees from reasonably foreseeable harm, and they have a legal duty of care to ensure the mental health and overall well-being of their workforce. 

Employers must (a) identify any risks to their employees’ health (for example, by carrying out risk assessments), and (b) take steps to prevent or reduce work-related stress. 

The UK has not yet seen criminal prosecutions linked to workplace-related suicides, however, the HSE has signalled that, although suicides are not currently RIDDOR reportable, it may investigate them in appropriate circumstances.

Other jurisdictions are acting; in the unprecedented France Télécom (now Orange) case, France Télécom was prosecuted after a wave of employee suicides in the late 2000s. In 2019, the former executives were found guilty of “institutional moral harassment” and creating a culture of routine workplace bullying. The case was unprecedented, and the first time that managers have been held criminally responsible for creating a culture of extreme pressure, destabilisation, and causing psychological harm. The company itself was given a multi-million pound fine.

New British Standard to address suicide in the workplace 

BS 30480 – Suicide and the Workplace was launched by the BSI at the end of 2025 and is the world’s first standard dedicated to suicide prevention in the workplace. 

The standard, albeit voluntary, represents a landmark step in workplace wellbeing and occupational health. It provides practical toolkits for managers and HR teams, outlines warning signs and risk factors, and provides advice on three core areas:

  1. Prevention: creating psychologically safe cultures; reducing stigma around mental health and suicide; and training managers and staff to recognise warning signs.
  2. Intervention: how to have compassionate, confident conversations; what to do when someone may be at immediate risk; and clear escalation pathways and support mechanisms.
  3. Postvention: supporting colleagues after a suicide or attempt; managing communication sensitively; and reducing the risk of further harm.

The existence of BS 30480 itself evidences that: (a) employers are acknowledging suicide risk; (b) organisations want guidance; and (c) government and industry bodies see it as a priority and not merely as part of an employee assistance programme (EAP) or wellbeing initiative.

It is freely accessible, enabling organisations of all sizes and sectors to consider what any appropriate measures to prevent suicide risks in the workplace may look like for their organisation. 

How organisations can act now

People spend a significant portion of their lives at work. Often, colleagues notice distress before anyone else. For employers, in line with general legal health and safety duties, preventing work-related stress and supporting good mental health is not only a compliance requirement, but also a good thing for any business and the right thing to do.

Suicide in the workplace can influence negligence claims, employment tribunal cases, professional indemnity (PI) claims, and health and safety enforcement actions. It (and the risk of suicide) also has an unquantifiable impact on other people, including colleagues and managers.

The evolving regulatory landscape reflects the shift towards integrating mental health into traditional health and safety management, and BS 30480 complements current UK legislation by giving employers relevant guidance on how to respond in practice. Employers have a duty to manage psychosocial risks in the same way as physical risks. Regulators are paying more attention to workplace factors in any mental health related deaths.

The issue straddles legal compliance and human care; neither HR nor health and safety professionals can address it alone. Therefore, suicide prevention frameworks should not be viewed as standalone initiatives, but as part of a holistic approach to employee wellbeing. This includes regular risk assessments considering psychosocial hazards, employee wellbeing strategy, training, communication, clear support pathways, and people-centred policies.

As BS 30480 becomes available, employers can act right now to review and enhance their mental health and crisis management strategies:

  1. Review your risk assessments: ensure psychosocial risks, such as workload, bullying, isolation, and role clarity are included and regularly reviewed. 
  2. Train managers: managers are often the first to notice changes and can be in need of help and support themselves when managing colleagues having a mental health crisis; they require training to be equipped with the confidence to have difficult conversations and to know what to do next.
  3. Strengthen your policies: include clear guidance on mental health, crisis response, and post-incident response, including investigation and support.
  4. Build a supportive culture: normalise conversations about mental health. Reduce stigma. Encourage early help-seeking.
  5. Develop a ‘postvention’ plan: a suicide affects entire teams. Having a plan in place ensures a compassionate, consistent response. 

Our employment and health and safety teams can support any management strategy, considering and implementing the standard, including risk assessments and training. We can also conduct or support internal investigations and provide advice around your crisis management plans.

Please get in touch with Claire Scott or Lynne Gray for further information.

Written by

Lynne Gray

Lynne Gray

Partner

Health & Safety

lynne.gray@burnesspaull.com +44 (0)1224 618 511

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