This week is Stress Awareness Week in the UK with 6 November marking national stress awareness day. The Health and Safety Executive has rightly reminded all employers of the need to fulfil their legal obligation, to mitigate the impact of stress and maintain a safe working environment for staff, a sentiment to which I think we can all subscribe. Stress Awareness Week: Employers have to fulfil legal duty | HSE
I first wrote about stress in the workplace nearly 25 years ago, recalling that it was on the rise then and was replacing musculoskeletal conditions (such as low back pain) as the main source of work-related absence. Then, it seemed to reflect the firm move away from physically demanding heavy industry being a major source of employment and a growing awareness of mental health and wellbeing. This trend has continued and in the modern workplace, the emphasis on wellness, employee support programs and presence of mental health first aiders have become the norm.
So, where are we with workplace stress as a phenomenon and as a nation, do we deal with it better than we used to? That is a difficult question to answer objectively but, in our practice, at least anecdotally, work-related stress seems to be as prevalent as ever as the reason cited on medical certificates for employee absence. It is hard to say whether this is because work is inherently more stressful than it used to be or whether it is just because we have become more aware of it in our lives. There are also other variables in the mix, such as the recent COVID pandemic and cost of living crisis, all of which must have added to levels of stress and reduced many people’s tolerance for the normal cut and thrust of working life. However, every era has its crises and few of us can ever say work was the only reason we experienced stress in our lives.
A recent survey commissioned by CIPHR indicates that 11% of us feel stressed at work generally, with 86% feeling that stress at least one day every month. 24% of us experience these feelings on more days in a month than we do not. The HSE estimates UK industry loses 17 million working days a year because of work related stress, anxiety and depression with NICE estimating the annual cost of this at around £28.3 billion. Deloitte suggests the cost of poor mental health more generally to UK employers, is closer to £51 billion.
Symptoms of stress can vary between individuals but weight gain or loss, irritability, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, social withdrawal, even nausea and rashes can be signs that something isn’t right, at home, at work or possibly both. It’s difficult to generalise but if staff turnover or absenteeism in one area of your business is unusually high that may indicate an underlying problem with management or resourcing. Poor communication, lack of clarity around role or performance standards can all play a part, and any major change or restructure can be a significant cause of stress, even if handled well. If you do detect an issue, early identification and intervention can be vital.
It's worth remembering that stress need not always be a negative factor and many people thrive under some pressure. However, the problems arise when that pressure, from whatever source, be it home or work-related, becomes excessive and we can no longer function effectively. As with any work-related hazard, such as working at heights or moving and handling, employers also need to risk assess stress and revisit this periodically to show any risk is being managed.
As well as fulfilling a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act, it makes sound commercial sense to invest in employee welfare and ensure a safe and supportive environment. By carrying our risk assessments on work-related stress and putting in place measures to mitigate the impact of that stress, levels of attendance and productivity should improve. In individual cases, exploring causes of stress in regular 1:1s and appraisals will help to identify issues early on and enable an action plan to be put in place. That may involve occupational health advice, providing access to counselling or perhaps a relatively minor adjustment to working arrangements to make challenges like the daily commute or childcare arrangements easier to manage. Sometimes, just having a discussion with a staff member offering reassurance and showing an interest in their wellbeing can be enough to alleviate any feelings of stress.
For advice on handling stress in the workplace contact a member of the employment team on 03330 430350, and check out the excellent free resources at Stress and mental health at work - HSE.
