Stress. We all deal with it to some extent. But left unchecked, it can lead to health and safety issues for businesses.
According to the latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), stress, depression, and anxiety account for 776,000 cases of work-related ill-health in the UK, with an average of 21.1 working days lost per case. These figures represent not only a human cost but also a significant challenge for workplace operations.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 makes it clear. Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees' physical and mental well-being. That includes addressing work-related stress. By incorporating stress management into risk assessments, employers can reduce absenteeism, improve employee morale, and ensure compliance with their legal obligations.
In this article, we’ll explore why tackling work-related stress is essential and provide practical steps for employers to address it effectively, including insights from the HSE’s Working Minds campaign.
Understanding the Importance of Stress Risk Assessment
Workplace stress is a hidden hazard that can significantly affect employee well-being and business performance. Despite its importance, many employers remain unaware that they are legally required to assess and act on the risks.
- The Human Cost:
The HSE's 2023–2024 statistics reveal that stress, depression, and anxiety represent nearly half of all reported work-related ill-health cases. Employees experiencing excessive work pressures often face burnout, reduced productivity, and long-term health challenges.
- The Business Impact:
Stress-related absences disrupt workflows, increase workloads for remaining staff, and can lead to costly mistakes or turnover. The average absence of over 21 days per case underscores the significant operational risks for an organisation.
By actively managing the risk of stress, employers meet their legal obligations while simultaneously cultivating a healthier and more engaged workforce.
What is a Stress Risk Assessment?
This type of risk assessment looks closely at things in the workplace that might increase stress. This assessment can be printed out. You can find stress risk assessment templates here. It finds possible dangers and how they can affect mental health. It helps employers meet their legal duty by showing them how to create effective solutions.
Your risk assessment will assist you in identifying potential stress-related dangers to your employees and taking appropriate protective measures. You could evaluate bullying, harassment, and discrimination rules and ensure that your first aid needs assessment takes into account physical and mental health needs.
The HSE has produced a guide to help businesses conduct an effective risk assessment. View a printable version of the whole guide for stress risk assessment, which will help you identify potential risks to your workers and what action to take.
How Often Should Employers Review Stress Risk Assessments?
How often companies check their risk assessments depends on things like their industry, the work environment, and legal duties. Employers should look at their assessment paperwork again whenever there are big changes in the workplace that might affect mental health or stress levels. They should also review them if the law on occupational health says so.
How Can Employers Manage Work-Related Stress?
Employers can use different management strategies. They can encourage open communication. They can also provide access to mental health resources.
It is important to keep workloads manageable. When employers address the signs of stress early, they can help stop it from getting worse. Offering support for occupational health can help create a healthier workplace.
How Does the Working Minds Campaign Help?
The Working Minds campaign focuses on reducing the stigma of mental health at work. It gives employers the tools and resources to help their workers. The campaign supports good mental health. It also encourages companies to create a workplace culture that welcomes counselling and support.
Practical Steps to Tackle Work-Related Stress
Preventing workplace stress requires ongoing commitment and collaboration. The HSE’s Working Minds campaign outlines five essential steps to help businesses take action:
- Reach Out and Have Conversations
- Open dialogue is key. Use tools like the HSE's Talking Toolkit to facilitate conversations with employees about stressors. Regular one-to-ones or team meetings can uncover underlying issues.
- Recognise the Signs
- Be proactive in identifying potential triggers. The Stress Indicator Tool can help assess workplace pressures and highlight patterns that may require attention.
- Respond to Risks
- Take actionable steps to address risks identified in assessments. This could include adjusting workloads, enhancing support systems, or providing resources like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).
- Reflect on Actions Taken
- Evaluate the effectiveness of measures put in place. Regular feedback from employees ensures that interventions are making a meaningful impact.
- Make it Routine
- Embed stress prevention into your daily operations. For example:
- Add stress management as a standing agenda item in team meetings.
- Train managers to recognise stressors and symptoms.
- Incorporate mental health discussions into personal development plans.
Taking small, actionable steps can lead to significant improvements in employee well-being and workplace morale.
Where Can Employers Find Resources and Support?
Employers can find many resources for managing stress. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website gives useful advice. It also has printable risk assessment templates. These resources help you create and use good strategies for managing workplace wellness.
There are also charity organisations, like Mind, that offer workplace-specific advice for workers and managers.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, focusing on stress risk assessments at work is very important. It helps keep employees healthy and productive. Employers need to follow laws and take charge of this issue. This way, they can build a caring work environment.
Regularly checking risk assessments, using good stress management methods, and taking advantage of resources like the Working Minds Campaign are key steps to boost mental health at work. When employers invest in risk assessments, they show they care about creating a happy and healthy workplace culture.
Health and wellbeing training tailor-made for managers is available below:
