One in four workers in the UK's automotive trade – including the aftermarket – are considering a career change, according to industry charity Ben.
A survey of more than 1000 workers for the charity's annual health and wellbeing report found that "almost all" suffered a health and wellbeing issue over the past year, and that mental health scores decreased compared with a year ago.
More than half of workers suffered stress and broken sleep over the past year, while the number of respondents who cited a poor work-life balance soared from 6% in 2024 to 38% this year. This was most common among those working in garages, parts departments and showrooms, Ben said. Long hours, low staffing levels and high workloads were all growing concerns.
Of those who said they were considering leaving the automotive sector, half said this was due to poor mental health, while a quarter said they had suffered financial troubles.
"Stress remains the biggest issue for our automotive family, with many people citing they don’t feel they have enough time to switch off from work to rest and relax, as well as raising concerns over access to support," said Rachel Clift, CEO of Ben.
Clift added: "Money worries are also clearly continuing to impact on people’s lives, adding to these stresses. Unsurprisingly, the challenges we’re seeing are taking a toll on people’s mental health which is a continuing trend for our industry."
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