Thursday 10 October 2024 marks World Mental Health Day, and as each year passes it seems more and more important that we all talk about our mental health to help remove the stigma that still seems to surround the subject and to help us cope with life’s ups and downs.
This year’s theme, set by the Federation of Mental Health is Workplace Mental Health and this highlights the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, including the need to understand work related stress and the legal duty to manage this in your business.
Are you complying with the law?
What is “stress”?
The Health & Safety Executive define Stress as “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them” and work-related stress can lead to serious health problems, decreased productivity and increased absenteeism. The HSE estimated 17.1 million working days were lost due to work related stress, anxiety or depression in 2022/23 which is over 48% of the overall working days lost due to work related ill-health and non-fatal workplace injuries.
These statistics highlight the importance of employers considering employee’s mental health and stress management in their health & safety risk assessments.
Employers in the UK have specific legal duties to manage work related stress under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Act 1999. These laws require employers to conduct Risk Assessments, implement preventative measures, regularly review and monitor their risk assessments and stress management strategies and to support employees.
What are the main causes of workplace stress?
The HSE state that there are 6 main areas that can lead to workplace stress if they are not managed properly. These are:
- Demand – unable to cope with the demands of their job.
- Control – unable to control the way they do work
- Support – not receiving enough support
- Relationships – workplace bullying, or strained workplace relationships
- Role – not understanding their roles and responsibilities
- Change – not engaging when a business is undergoing change.
Stress affects everyone differently. What could be a good level of pressure for one person could be too much pressure for another, meaning it is vitally important you know what to look out for in your employees.
Signs of Stress
When an employee is suffering from stress they are likely to change their behaviour or the way feel. Some of the signs could be taking more time off for illnesses, arriving to work late or working late and skipping lunch breaks. They also may become more withdrawn or have noticeable mood swings and have more increased emotional reactions such as being tearful, sensitive or aggressive.
This can all seem overwhelming for employers who have not been trained in managing work related stress and this is where we can help. At Assist Health & Safety Services Limited we are able to work with you to conduct a work place stress risk assessment and to help you decide what preventative measures you can put in place.
We can also offer e-training for your managers and your employees on workplace stress management and mental health first aid.