Work-Related Stress Complaint Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to formally raise excessive workload or work-related stress with your employer, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong work-related stress complaint should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• Describe the workload and the impact on health with dates
• Confirm any requests for help that were ignored
• State that your employer is not meeting its health and safety duties, including assessing the risk of work-related stress
• Request an urgent meeting to review workload
• Confirm that if the situation continues a formal grievance will follow

Your employer's duty to address excessive workload

Employers have a legal duty of care to protect your health, including stress caused by unreasonable workload or working hours — this isn't just good practice, it's a genuine health and safety obligation. HSE Management Standards specifically identify workload demand as a key stress risk factor employers are expected to assess and manage.

What to include before you send it

• A clear, specific description of your workload and why it's excessive
• How this is affecting your wellbeing and ability to work sustainably
• Any specific changes you believe would help — redistributing tasks, extending deadlines, or additional resource
• A request for this to be formally reviewed and addressed

Being specific makes this letter far more effective

"I'm stressed" is much harder for an employer to act on than "I'm currently covering three roles' worth of work since a colleague left three months ago, and haven't had a full weekend off in six weeks." Specific, concrete detail turns a general complaint into something genuinely actionable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if raising this leads to me being treated differently?
Raising a genuine health and safety concern about workload is a protected act — being subjected to detriment for doing so in good faith is unlawful.

Should I see my GP about work-related stress as well as raising it internally?
Yes — seeking medical support alongside raising the issue formally protects your health and can provide useful evidence if the situation needs to be taken further.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Name of Recipient, e.g. Your Line Manager or HR Manager]
[Job Title]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Company Postcode]
[Date]

Dear [Name of Recipient],

Subject: Work-related stress

I am writing to formally raise my concerns about the level of work-related stress I am under. It is now seriously affecting my [physical and mental] health.

I believe it is caused by:
• [e.g. An unmanageable workload since [date], after recent redundancies in the team]
• [e.g. Deadlines that mean I work late most evenings]
• [e.g. A lack of clear communication and support about my targets]

I asked for help on [date(s)] by [e.g. speaking to my manager / email], but nothing changed.

Employers have a legal duty to protect the health and safety of their staff, which includes assessing the risk of work-related stress and acting on it. I do not believe this duty is being met.

Please meet me as soon as possible to review my workload and carry out a stress risk assessment. If the situation continues, I will raise a formal grievance.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]