Broker wellbeing

To mark World Mental Health Day (October 10th), specialist insurer Ecclesiastical has published new research revealing broker stress levels have risen to their highest since 2019.

Ecclesiastical’s Broker Wellbeing Survey tracks stress levels by asking brokers to rate their stress from 1-10, and over the last six years, there has been a steady increase as brokers attempt to juggle their responsibilities in the workplace with their own personal challenges.

The annual survey, now into its sixth year, found almost half (47.5%) of brokers reported stress levels as high or very high, the highest since the survey first launched in 2019.

In another tough year for brokers, almost half (48%) said they experienced anxiety or were overwhelmed (47%) in the last year, with more than one in six (17%) saying they were unable to cope.

The findings reveal brokers at national, regional, and provincial businesses are feeling the strain as heavy workloads, client expectations, and regulation combine with personal issues to create more pressure than ever.

Workload continues to be the main contributor of stress, reported by 70% (-3% vs 2024) of brokers, while two-thirds (66%) cited the volume of regulation and compliance as the primary cause.

The next biggest factor was customer demands (53% -1% vs 2024), followed by dealing with insurers (49% -5% vs 2024). Staff shortages (46% +9% vs 2024) were also quoted by a number of brokers, with a significant increase on last year’s responses after three years of steady improvements.

Three in five (59%) national brokers cited this as an issue, with one broker stating: “We've lost a lot of staff over the past year and the company won't replace them, so everyone's workload has gone through the roof and we're all working under huge pressure.”

Reassuringly, most brokers (92% +1 vs 2024) feel confident in recognising the signs of poor mental health. The majority (93% -1% vs 2024) believe they have the tools and techniques to deal with everyday stresses.

While stress levels continued to rise, the majority (85%) of brokers rated their mental well-being as good or very good.

A small number (4% +3% on 2024) said they had taken time off over the last year to manage their mental health. Despite this, just one in ten (9%) of brokers who had experienced mental health issues said they had sought support from a health professional. This is up on last year’s findings (+6% vs 2024) but still below 2023’s results (16%).

In a positive sign, a record number of brokers (81% +2% vs 2024) said they felt comfortable reporting their mental health issues to their line manager, with most managers (86%) taking action as a result.

However, despite feeling more able to report issues to their manager, almost one in six (15%) said they didn’t feel comfortable talking to their manager about their mental health, with one saying: “I don't feel my manager has the knowledge or understanding required to deal with it."

This year’s survey shows firms are making positive progress to reduce the stigma of mental health and create a more supportive environment. More than three-quarters (79%, +2% compared to 2024) of brokers say their brokerage is dedicated to enhancing wellbeing. This figure has been gradually rising since 2020 (+9%).

Almost three-quarters (74%) of brokers believe their organisation is increasingly committed to reducing the stigma of mental health, with 86% saying they felt their managers or employers were acting on mental health concerns – a 10% increase compared to 2020.

Brokerages are strengthening wellbeing support, with three quarters (72% +6% vs 2024) offering flexible working options to support wellbeing in the workplace and over half (55% +10% vs 2024) providing counselling support, a substantial increase on last year’s findings.

More than half (52% +10% vs 2024) deliver mental health awareness training for managers, while over half offer a confidential helpline (51% +3% vs 2024) and almost half provide mental health awareness training for staff (48% +7% vs 2024).

There has been a marked increase in the number of brokerages using external consultants to provide mental health support, rising from one in five (21%) in 2024 to over a third (37%) this year. A quarter (24%) responded to say they were using insurers to support their efforts.

Through greater access to flexible working arrangements, increased counselling services, mental health awareness training for both managers and staff, and the introduction of employee support networks and assistance programmes, brokers are showing their commitment to understanding and tackling mental health issues in the workplace.

When asked what other changes brokers would like to see to support their mental health and wellbeing, the most popular answers were a reduced workload and more staff, as one broker stated: “More staff to help share the heavy workload”.

Attitudes to mental health have undoubtedly shifted since the Broker Wellbeing Survey was launched in 2019.

More than half of brokers (51%) believe there is now a high level of acceptance towards mental health within the industry, an 8% increase on last year; however, brokers believe awareness of mental health within the industry has plateaued in the last two years (63% in 2025).

While brokers feel able to report their mental health issues to their managers, under two-thirds (64%) feel they can discuss their mental wellbeing with colleagues, with one in ten (13%) stating there is still stigma attached to mental health issues in the industry, while others didn’t feel colleagues would care.

Ecclesiastical's Broker Hub provides advice and guidance for brokers to better manage their mental health, with free webinars and resources available. The insurer also works alongside Mental Health in Business to help our broker community address the causes of these mental health challenges.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, you can find a list of support at the Mental Health Foundation’s website, including helplines and resources.

¹ 201 Interviews carried out by FWD in September 2025 using Broking Now panel of commercial lines insurance brokers.