Figures from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development show that, for the very first time, stress is the most common cause of long-term sickness and accounts for around 35% of all work-related ill health cases and 43% of all working days lost due to ill health.
Preventing and dealing with workplace stress is a key skill for managers and employers to ensure a productive workforce. So, what can employers do to help to reduce stress in the workplace?
•remind yourself about the chief ‘stressors’ at work – things like work overload, lack of job control and poor relationships. You should think about what measures you can take to combat them.
• manage sickness absence more effectively. You won’t know how your employees are feeling unless you talk to them. The key to effective absence management is early intervention, so make sure that you hold your return-to-work discussions promptly and ask them to be honest and open with you.
• make sure your line managers know how to respond to signs of stress. They may need the right training to deal with issues around bullying and performance management in particular and holding difficult conversations in general.
If you are concerned about managing stress in the workplace or would like to put in place some policies or management training around this issue do contact our trustworthy solicitors for help. We have experience in producing policies and providing training for management teams to enable them to be confident in implementing the relevant procedures.
The content on this page is for general awareness only. It is not intended to constitute professional or legal advice. Changes to legislation may have happened since this article was published. The contents of this article should not be used as a basis for action and the reader should be advised to seek the appropriate professional advice based on their individual circumstances.
