Spotlight On – Work-Related Stress

Work-Related Stress

Pressure can be a positive force in the workplace – it helps to motivate employees, and boosts their energy and productivity levels. But when this pressure exceeds an employee’s ability to cope, it becomes a negative force. It becomes work-related stress – which can have far-reaching negative implications.

This article puts the spotlight on work-related stress, what businesses can do to better manage it, and the benefits of doing so.

What is work related stress? 

Work related stress arises because a person is unable to cope with the demands being put upon them at work. This can be a significant cause of illness, and is linked with high levels of absence and staff turnover.

Stress can hit anyone, at any level of business, in any industry. But there are some factors that the HSE identified. Rates were higher for women than men, and high rates were noted for workers aged 45-54. High rates were noted in health and social care professionals, in the education sector, in defence, and in public administration industries. Rates were also higher in large workplaces employing over 250 people.

Symptoms of stress can vary greatly from person to person. They may include psychological symptoms such as lack of confidence, indecisiveness, and loss of motivation. They may include emotional symptoms such as negative, depressive feelings, irritability, and mood swings. They may involve physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, nausea, headaches and chest pains. Stress can also lead to changes in behaviour such as sleeping difficulty, eating problems, drinking alcohol or smoking – all of which can further impact upon an individual’s health.

Work related stress arises because a person is unable to cope with the demands being put upon them at work. This can be a significant cause of illness, and is linked with high levels of absence and staff turnover.

Stress can hit anyone, at any level of business, in any industry. But there are some factors that the HSE identified. Rates were higher for women than men, and high rates were noted for workers aged 45-54. High rates were noted in health and social care professionals, in the education sector, in defence, and in public administration industries. Rates were also higher in large workplaces employing over 250 people.

Symptoms of stress can vary greatly from person to person. They may include psychological symptoms such as lack of confidence, indecisiveness, and loss of motivation. They may include emotional symptoms such as negative, depressive feelings, irritability, and mood swings. They may involve physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, nausea, headaches and chest pains. Stress can also lead to changes in behaviour such as sleeping difficulty, eating problems, drinking alcohol or smoking – all of which can further impact upon an individual’s health.

Why is it important? 

According to the HSE’s 2013/14 report, 11.3 million working days were lost to work-related stress, with 244,000 new cases reported during the period. The estimated cost to society is around £4 billion each year.

Employers are required to assess the risk of stress-related ill health, and take appropriate action to control and manage the risk. Many organisations have reported improved productivity, greater staff retention, and a reduction in absences after tackling work-related stress.

How to tackle work-related stress

The HSE have designed a Management Standards approach to help employers manage the causes of work-related stress.

The management standard approach looks like this:

For step 1, six areas of work that can have a negative impact on work-related stress are identified in the approach as follows:

1. Demands – workload, work patterns, environment
2. Control – how much say the employee says in how they carry out their work
3. Support – encouragement from the organisation, line management and colleagues
4. Role – if the employee understands their job, and are conflicts within the role
5. Change – how organisational change is managed and communicated
6. Relationships – conflict management and dealing with unacceptable behaviour

More information on the model, and ideal states to be achieved, can be found here.

It is important for employees to learn to recognise the signs of work stress so that they can take appropriate action. It’s also important for employees to speak out and tackle the problem before the situation gets any worse. Advice can be found on the NHS website here and advice for people of all level is provided by the HSE here.

European Initiative

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) is an organisation that contributes towards making Europe a ‘safer, healthier and more productive place to work’. After identifying that stress is the second most frequently reported health problem in Europe, they launched a healthy workplaces campaign tackling workplace stress.

The campaign aims to promote the management of work-related stress and psychosocial risks to prevent their negative effects for worker, employers and governments. By doing so, workers stay healthy, the workplace culture is more positive, and business performance consequently improves.

A variety of campaign materials are available to download from the campaign website here.

What are the benefits of managing work-related stress?

The HSE outline a number of benefits for better management of work-related stress.

Economic benefits might include improved relationships with clients and suppliers, reduced costs of sick pay, sickness cover, overtime and recruitment, and lower risks of litigation by complying with legal duties.

Benefits to the individual can include higher morale, better personal performance, increased earning power, better work relationships, better personal wellbeing, and greater job satisfaction.

Management benefits might include lower staff turnover, better absence management, improved work quality, an improved workplace atmosphere and a better organisational image.

In Conclusion

Work-related stress is currently recognised as a big issue across Europe, and it is an employer’s responsibility to take action to try and reduce the occurrence of ill-health as a result of stress in the workplace.

Taking steps to better manage work-related stress can yield huge rewards for employers and employees alike.

Further information can be found from the HSE here and EU-OSHA here.

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