Stress in the workplace - how can you manage it?

Taking place on Wednesday 1st November, Stress Awareness Day is a national campaign, set up by the International Stress Management Association, with the mission of raising awareness of the effects of stress at work.

Did you know that 76% of working individuals in the UK currently experience moderate to high levels of stress? And whatsmore is that sick days caused by work-related stress or burnout is costing the UK economy £28 BILLION a year!

Fortunately, workplace stress can be managed when staff are provided with the relevant information and tools.

Why should employers be concerned about Stress?

• Employers have a legal and moral duty to protect the health and safety of individuals that they employ or other people that enter their premises.
• The staff absence and loss of productivity because of work-related stress can have a financial impact on the business. 13.7 million working days are lost each year in the UK because of work-related stress.
• Stress has an adverse reaction on staff performance and reliability, and staff retention – thus increasing costs through recruitment and training.
• Insurance premiums may increase and there may, in severe cases, be issues of litigation by those individuals who experience stress.

Stress and the Law

Employers have a legal and moral duty to ensure that their workers are not injured or made unwell because of work activities, and this includes mental illness.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999 ensures employers have a responsibility to assess the risk of work-related stress or ill health arising from their work activities, and under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to take measures to control those risks.

Is Stress reportable under RIDDOR?

No, purely because the causes of stress-related illness are usually extremely complex and specific to each circumstance.  Issues of stress-related illness can be raised with the enforcing authorities (the HSE) and could result in an investigation.

How can training help manage stress?

Stress can be detrimental to employees' personal mental health and it is imperative for employers to understand work-related stress and be aware of the differences between applying pressure or causing stress. Our Stress Awareness Training is suitable for both employees and employers and touches upon how to prevent stress, how to recognise problems, and how to stop pressure from getting out of control.

Get in touch with our expert staff today and find out more about iHasco's training courses in stress and mental health training.