Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) reveals that stress is the biggest cause of long term absence for non-manual staff and the third biggest cause for manual workers.
Stuart McKellar , Director of Honiton based human resource specialists HR Advantage, says "The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have found that up to five million UK workers are "very" or "extremely" stressed by their work. The 13½ million days lost to work related stress costs society about £3.7 billion every year".
"Some business owners" continues Stuart "see pressure at work as creating a buzz, stimulating and motivating staff, but it's when that pressure becomes sustained or excessive that we begin to talk about stress, defined by the HSE as the 'adverse reaction that people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them' ".
"It's quite clear that some individuals are less able to cope with pressure than others and will suffer from stress no matter how well their employer deals with the issue, "but that" emphasises Stuart "is exactly why employers should have a support system in place for those workers who suffer from stress".
The HSE has introduced guidance on stress management standards. Assessment will usually involve asking staff questions, through some form of employee attitude survey, about how satisfied they are with their jobs in key areas. If problems are identified, employers must consult with staff about possible solutions. Finally organisations will have to put in place an action plan spelling out what steps are to be taken, such as additional training for managers, as well as a timeframe for review.
The standards are voluntary but the HSE has indicated that they will be used as evidence against employers that continue to ignore their responsibilities in managing stress under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Uncontrolled stress leads to productivity losses, high staff turnover, increasing sick leave and the legal implications can increase costs still further. "The levels of compensation for stress related claims can be high, particularly where the employee never works again" warns Stuart. "There have been recent precedents where employers have been held liable for psychiatric damage caused tothe employeethrough stress.Settlement amountsin these cases have reached 6 figures and clearly emphasise that an employer's common law duty to provide a safe system of working for employees includes a duty to protect them from psychiatric harm and that failure to do this could lead to a claim where the harm is reasonably foreseeable."
"Many people in the workplace have some knowledge of employment laws and increasingly resort to litigation to enforce fair treatment" concludes Stuart. "There is a growing trend of employees from businesses of all sizes bringing claims against their employers on stress. We can help organisations implement sensible plans to ensure they comply with all current employment regulations and thereby avoid such claims."
