Emergency services face increasing stress amid staff shortages
Tuesday, 14th July, 2026
70% of the UK’s emergency services employees say they do not have enough staff, resulting in overwhelming workloads and exhaustion
Blue light workers are at risk of burnout due to sustained pressure and overwhelming workloads.
Commercial Services Group surveyed 4,000 people across local government, health, education, emergency services and a range of private sector industries to investigate the wellbeing of UK employees. The research found that, among employees who feel mentally exhausted by their work, nearly half (48%) fall into the low wellbeing category.
Exhaustion was found to be particularly widespread in emergency services and health, where an alarming 87% report frequent exhaustion at the end of the working day.
Gill Nye, Managing Director of HR Connect, a Commercial Services Group brand, said: “Employees are the backbone of our emergency services sector, working long hours in physically and mentally challenging situations. The pressures of these roles are being made even worse by a lack of tools and staff, leaving critical workers facing increasingly difficult and overwhelming workloads.
“While it’s important to highlight the pressures also facing the health, education and local government sectors, there is a particularly concerning trend in emergency services. More than one in five report they are either very close to burnout or already burnt out. Although our research suggests overall job satisfaction is high, these figures reveal a significant risk to staff retention, which could have a devastating impact on its ability to deliver lifeline services. Employers now need to consider the wider, systemic changes necessary to keep staff from becoming burnt out and mentally drained.”
The findings reinforce the importance of providing employees with access to practical wellbeing support. Through its Staff Care Services offering, HR Connect helps organisations develop healthier workplaces through occupational health services, counselling and support programmes, workplace wellbeing strategies, health surveillance and return-to-work coaching designed to support employees and managers alike.
The research found around one in five public sector employees say they think about leaving their job often or very often due to stress or pressure. This rises to 30% in emergency services.
Andy Cope at Art of Brilliance, the positivity and personal development training experts, said: “If action isn’t taken to address the significant levels of exhaustion and stress across the emergency services sector, we risk letting down the key workers who keep society safe and protected. Taking practical steps to ensure these workers are supported is imperative to protect mental health, prevent burnout and enable them to deliver their best selves in the workplace.”
Staffing levels were revealed to be a key driver in employees reporting on stress levels. In emergency services, only 30% of employees say their team has enough staff most of the time, and 13% say this is never the case. As a result, 35% say staffing shortages create stress often or very often, compared with 24% in health, 23% in education, and 21% in local government.
Gill continued: “To address these challenges and enable employees to work effectively in high-pressure roles, there are a few initial steps employers can take. First, reviewing how work is allocated, identifying where and how demand exceeds capacity, and prioritising the investment in the tools and support employees need.”
To find out more, visit www.commercialservices.com/wellbeing-research/.
