June 4, 2025
Editorial
Harvard Business Review (website)

Employee Stress Is a Business Risk—Not an HR Problem

By: Marion Chomse, Lydia Roos, Reeva Misra and Ashley Whillans

Format:Electronic

Abstract

Workplace stress, on the rise for decades, has been treated by many organizations as a personal issue instead of a business-critical risk that merits executive oversight. This is likely due in part to the fact that companies have not effectively quantified and tracked the cost stress poses to integral business outcomes. Companies can take charge of the avoidable costs of stress by surveying their workforce and mapping the stress they report onto quantifiable outcomes like revenue, customer satisfaction, and performance evaluations. Understanding how fluctuations in stress impact these outcomes can help businesses come up with and initiate targeted solutions to reduce the likelihood of disruption, protect workforce health, and unlock long-term competitive advantage.

Keywords

Employees; Well-being; Risk Management; Competitive Advantage

Citation

Chomse, Marion, Lydia Roos, Reeva Misra, and Ashley Whillans. "Employee Stress Is a Business Risk—Not an HR Problem." Harvard Business Review (website) (June 4, 2025).