Workplace stress and mental health assessments
An assessment for an employee struggling with stress or burnout
An independent clinical view of how someone is coping with work, and practical steps to help them stay well in it, before it becomes a long absence.
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- Registered, verified clinicians
- Independent & impartial
- GDPR-compliant
- UK-wide
- Employee consent-based
An assessment of one person, not a risk assessment of the organisation
This is an assessment of an individual employee: how stress, burnout or a mental health difficulty is affecting their work, and what would help them stay in it. It results in a plan for that person and their manager.
It is not the organisational stress risk assessment that the Health and Safety Executive expects employers to carry out, and it is not a substitute for one. Many employers need both: the risk assessment looks at the causes across a team or a workplace, while this looks at one person in front of you now.
It is also not a diagnosis or treatment. Where someone needs clinical care, the report says so and points to the right route.
Stress and burnout are easier to manage early
When an employee is showing signs of stress or burnout, managers often want to help but aren't sure how: what's reasonable to ask, what support actually works, and when to step in. Waiting until it becomes a formal absence usually makes it harder and longer to resolve.
An independent clinical assessment gives you an objective picture of how health is affecting work and a clear set of practical, work-focused recommendations, so you can act with confidence.
This often looks like:
- An employee seems overwhelmed or is withdrawing
- Performance has dipped and health may be a factor
- Someone has flagged stress, anxiety or burnout
- You want to support them but aren't sure how
- You're trying to prevent a longer absence
- You need an impartial, defensible clinical view
How Return Well helps
Independent clinical guidance you can act on
Independent clinical view
An objective assessment of how health is affecting work, free from internal bias.
Practical recommendations
Specific, realistic adjustments and support you can put in place now.
Stay-at-work focus
Guidance aimed at keeping someone well and productive at work where possible.
Fast turnaround
A manager-ready report, usually within 5 working days of the assessment.
Who carries out the assessment
For stress and mental health cases, Return Well usually selects a mental health nurse, a BABCP-registered CBT psychotherapist or an occupational therapist, depending on what the case needs. Every clinician is independent, and registered with the relevant UK statutory regulator, such as the HCPC or NMC, or an accredited register such as the BABCP.
- Registration checked on the public register before a first case
- Professional indemnity insurance checked
- Every report checked by Return Well before it is released
- Your employee reviews the report and can ask for factual corrections before it reaches you
What you actually receive
- A summary of how health is affecting work, in work terms
- What the employee can and cannot currently manage in their role
- Specific adjustments and support, with timescales
- A stay-at-work or return-to-work plan, where one is needed
- Guidance for the line manager
- A review point, so you know when to look at it again
The report is about work. Personal clinical detail shared in confidence stays out of it.
If someone is in crisis
Return Well is not an emergency or a crisis service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. If an employee needs urgent mental health support, their GP, NHS 111 or a crisis line is the right route, and our clinicians will say so if that is what an assessment finds.
What it costs
One fixed price per case, set by the situation. No VAT is charged: the price shown is the total price.
- Workplace Wellbeing Assessment, £425. Where the employee is still at work but struggling, which covers most stress and burnout cases.
- Return-to-Work Assessment, £495. Where they are coming back after absence.
- Complex Workplace Assessment, £695. For long or repeated absence, several conditions at once, or a return that has already failed.
We grade the case when you submit it, so you see the price before you pay.
Example
An employee showing signs of burnout after months of high workload
A remote assessment identified workload and lack of recovery time as the main drivers. The clinician recommended temporarily reducing concurrent projects, protected focus time, and a weekly wellbeing check-in with the manager, with a review at eight weeks. The employer had a clear plan to support the employee and avoid a longer absence.
Illustrative example: every assessment is tailored to the individual case.
FAQ
Common questions
Is this a mental health diagnosis?
No. Return Well provides a work-focused clinical assessment and practical recommendations, not a diagnosis or treatment. We focus on how health is affecting work and what support helps.
Is this the stress risk assessment we are supposed to do?
No. That one looks at the causes of stress across a team or a workplace and is a health and safety duty. This looks at one employee and what would help them. Employers often need both.
Does the employee have to consent?
Yes. The assessment is carried out with the employee's consent, and they review the report before it reaches you.
Who carries out the assessment?
Usually a mental health nurse, a CBT psychotherapist or an occupational therapist, depending on the case. All are independently registered, and we check registration and insurance before a clinician's first case.
What if the employee will not talk to us about it?
That is common, and it is often easier for someone to talk to an independent clinician than to their own manager. The report comes back in work terms, and your employee has seen it first.
What if they are too unwell to work?
The report says so, and sets out what would need to change and when to review. That is a useful answer too.
How quickly will we get the report?
The assessment usually within 5 working days of submission, remotely. The report is usually within 5 working days of the assessment, once we have checked it and your employee has reviewed it.
How much does it cost?
£425 where the employee is still at work, £495 where they are returning after absence, and £695 for complex cases. No VAT is charged, and there is no contract or retainer.
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Related: Pricing · How it works · Early intervention · Reasonable adjustments