Being stressed at work is nothing new, but that does not mean organisations need to tolerate it, they just need to manage it!
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines work-related stress as 'the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them'.
According to the HSE, sickness absence costs the UK about £12bn a year, and stress-related absence accounts for around £3.7bn of that. Stress is believed to trigger 70% of all visits to doctors and 85% of serious illnesses (HSE statistics).
Stress at work provides a serious risk of litigation for all employers and organisations. It carries significant liabilities for damages, bad publicity and loss of reputation. Stress prevention strategies are preferable; but employers need to take care in managing those already absent due to stress.
What does the Law say?
Employers are responsible for the effects of workplace stress on employees. Stress-related illnesses such as clinical depression do fall within the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and therefore reasonable workplace adjustments should be considered to help employees avoid stress-inducing situations.
In a stress study, about 1 in 5 people said that they found their work either very stressful or extremely stressful. Dealing with stress-related claims consumes vast amounts of management time.
So what triggers Stress?
Identified triggers include excessive time pressures, inflexible working hours, inadequate training or opportunities for learning new skills, organisational confusion and a poor work-life balance.
A combination of organisational change and stress management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work. Positive tips include:
• Ensuring workloads are in line with workers' capabilities and resources
• Designing jobs to provide meaning and stimulation with clearly defined roles and responsibilities
• Giving workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions that affect their jobs
• Improving communication about organisational performance, internal changes, pay reviews, career development and prospects – subjects that reduce uncertainty.
Returning to Work
Keeping in regular contact with employees absent due to work-related stress keeps work on their agenda and offers an opportunity to discuss and plan for a return. The process can be helped through consultation with their GP, who may issue Fit Notes, and possibly Occupational Health Specialists.
Return to work discussions may help to identify what caused the stress and what adjustments their manager may need to consider. There may also be factors outside work that contributed to the person’s work related stress. Do not assume that it is just related to work.
When the employee feels ready to return to work, a 'staged return' (part-time hours to start with) can help ease them back in.
