Would you pass a work-related stress spot check?
Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work. This applies to every occupation and stress risk assessments must be carried out to ensure as an employer you are implementing measures to appropriately address workplace stress. The 2020/21 HSE figures reveal there are 822,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety, accounting for 50% of all work-related ill health cases. Even before these new figures were published The HSE widened the scope of their existing Covid spot checks to include questions surrounding work-related stress. As part of their routine inspection to check businesses are operating safely they will assess the following:
- Has your workplace stress risk assessment been conducted?
- Does the risk assessment apply across the whole organisation?
- Were your employees consulted or involved in this process?
The spot checks have previously focussed on more physical health risks in the workplace, but now psychological risks must also be taken into account by employers. The assessor will be looking for a business to have sufficiently considered the above questions and have a written risk assessment if they employ at least 5 people. Not only can neglecting work-related stress risks land you with heavy fines but it can also damage your business reputation. Work-related stress has many negative side effects not just to the individual experiencing it, but to the business as a whole. Therefore it is in everyone’s interests to tackle it.
Managing work-related stress
It can be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to effectively managing work-related stress as it is not always obvious when or why your employees are feeling stressed - it could be as a result of a number of factors. There needs to be a clear organisational approach to preventing stress from occurring in the first place but for many the COVID pandemic has caused a great deal of change to the working environment. Whether you have a stress risk assessment in place or not it is a good idea to update it in light of any changes. This will help you identify what existing measures are in place to reduce the risk of stress or if more can be done. The HSE sets out 6 Management Standards which will help you identify possible areas of stress as well as help you demonstrate to The HSE in a spot check that you have carefully considered work-related stress as a hazard. While a business isn’t legally required to follow the Management Standards approach it does provide a framework to sufficiently cover your duty to assess the risk of work-related stress . It looks at Demands, Control, Support, Relationships, Role and Change as possible stressors in the workplace. This may differ per job role or even on an individual basis. Therefore it is important to seek the opinions of your staff to gain a true picture. Stressors could include a department being short-staffed, unachievable deadlines, lack of training, too much or too little contact with a line manager, workplace conflict or unclear job roles. Asking staff questions surrounding the Management Standards will help determine if there are any current stressors. This information could be captured through a written form or by conducting individual one-to-one meetings. Once you have gathered the hazard information and who is at risk you can start to look at possible control measures, recording your findings and communicating the findings to all employees.
However, completing a stress risk assessment is the first step. Employers need to embed agreed policies and procedures, ensure control measures are effective and build a supportive culture where employees are safe, happy and productive.
Free resources and courses
Work related stress can be detrimental to a business so it’s important to take a proactive approach to combat it.
Not only do the HSE have a wealth of information to support businesses with stress and mental health at work, here at iHASCO we have the following resources and courses to help you get a handle on work-related stress in your workplace.
Courses:
- Stress Awareness & Management Training
- Mental Health Awareness Training
- Mindfulness Training
- Time Management Training
Free Resources:
For employers:
- Free Online Risk Assessment Tool
- Video: Q&A with a mental health first aider: How to spot, manage & prevent stress in the workplace
- Blog: What is work-related stress?
- Blog: Stress or manageable pressure?
For employees:
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