By Rachel Clift, CEO at Ben, the automotive industry charity
There’s no doubt that last year’s cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover created a lot of disruption and uncertainty across the UK automotive sector. While the operational impact was widely reported, at Ben, we heard directly from people who were feeling anxious about income, job security, and what the future might hold.
Unexpected external events like this tend to highlight and worsen pressures that have already been building quietly in the background.
For several years, we’ve seen that stress is the number one health and wellbeing issue affecting people who work in the automotive industry. Over half of automotive workers tell us they are experiencing stress, and many say they are not getting enough time to rest and recover properly[1]. These figures reflect an industry that has been operating at a pace for a long time.
And automotive is not alone. Across the UK, work-related stress, anxiety, and depression account for more than half of all work-related ill health cases, with millions of working days lost each year. Sickness absence linked to mental health is at its highest level in over a decade. These are challenges facing employers in every sector.
However, the automotive industry faces a unique combination of pressures. The pace of technological change can be relentless. Electrification, automation, software-led vehicles, and AI are reshaping roles at speed. For many people, that has meant constant upskilling and the underlying fear of becoming obsolete if they fail to keep up. Even a positive transformation can feel demanding when it’s continuous.
At the same time, many businesses are managing tight margins, supply chain disruption, and rising costs. That has a knock-on effect, causing heavier workloads and longer hours for workers. In our conversations with people across the industry, from apprentices and technicians to senior leaders, concerns about work-life balance, fatigue, and financial strain are increasingly common.
Financial wellbeing, in particular, is closely linked to mental health. A significant proportion of automotive workers tell us they are worried about money, and some are making difficult day-to-day choices as a result. When people are concerned about paying bills or supporting their families, it naturally affects their focus, resilience, and overall health and wellbeing. Nearly one in six automotive workers have told us that they are skipping meals due to money worries[2] and a majority say they are concerned about their financial situation.
It was against this backdrop that the JLR disruption occurred. For some individuals and businesses, particularly smaller suppliers, it added another layer of uncertainty and worry. This was because many people were already managing high levels of stress, pressure and worries about their finances.
Shocks and disruption are undoubtedly part of modern-day business. Whether driven by economic conditions, technological change, or global events, further challenges are likely to arise. The important question for all of us is how we improve resilience so that people are better supported when pressure rises.
Too often, stress and burnout are framed as individual issues. In reality, they are influenced by workload, culture, financial wellbeing and the wider, complex external landscape people are navigating. Supporting health and wellbeing is about creating the conditions in which people can perform and thrive – now and for the long-term.
Encouragingly, we know that early, proactive support makes a real difference. Organisations that have open conversations, are inclusive, monitor employee workload, promote healthy recovery time, and support financial wellbeing tend to see stronger engagement, lower absence, and improved productivity. This is a practical investment in long-term performance, not just a ‘nice to have’.
At Ben, our role is to support individuals and work alongside employers across the automotive industry to build awareness of the services and tools we provide and encourage a more preventative approach. Early intervention is so important. Employee health and wellbeing shouldn’t only be a focus during a crisis; it needs to be part of how a business operates day-to-day.
Automotive has always been defined by innovation and resilience. Applying that same long-term thinking to the health and wellbeing of automotive workers is essential. When we look after the people who power this sector and drive it forward, we strengthen the whole industry – and that can only be a good thing for us all.
Last year’s disruption at JLR can be seen as an important reminder of how connected the automotive ecosystem is and how an unexpected event can affect a sector that is already under strain. It also shows how important it is to put support in place for automotive people. If we want a competitive, innovative, and sustainable automotive sector, we need to continue prioritising the health and wellbeing of the people who are the driving force behind it.
