All employers have a duty to assess the risk of work-related stress to their employees and to take measures to control that risk.

Work-related stress, depression or anxiety result in an estimated 10.5 million lost working days per year – the single biggest cause of days lost through work-related ill-health in the UK.

Stress at work is, therefore, a key issue for both employers, in terms of costs associated with sickness absence and reduced productivity, and for employees in terms of their experience of work, and their work-related quality of life.

Effective stress management reduces absence, increases productivity and improves staff retention.

PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS

• Demands – workload, work patterns, time pressures and work-life balance
• Control – over work tasks and the organisation of work
• Support and resources – from managers and colleagues
• Role clarity – avoiding role ambiguity
• Job security – now and in the future
• Change – how it is managed and communicated

COPE strongly recommends a preventative approach to stress management, by employing a Psychosocial Risk Assessment Programme of auditing, advising and implementing management strategies.

HSE’s Management Standards have been developed to help employers identify psychosocial risk factors associated with stress.

The Standards can be found here.

Our Psychologists can help you to incorporate these standards into your own management practices, also developing a tailored stress management approach for your specific organisation.