Let’s start by spelling it out – as an employer you have a legal duty to ensure the physical and psychological health and safety of your staff.
An employee’s mental and physical health can be greatly impacted by work-related stress. It may adversely affect employees’ behaviour, performance and / or relationships at work and this will impact on others including yourself, your other employees and your customers.
Employers must clearly define work-related stress, implement prevention strategies, identify the signs, execute early intervention, and provide employees with support to cope with work-related stress.
How do we define work-related stress?
As defined by the Health and Safety Executive, work-related stress is the ‘adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work’.
The terms ‘pressure’ and ‘stress’ are often used simultaneously. However, it is important to note the differences between the two. Pressure is the perception of something being at stake, which is then relying on your performance to create the outcome. At work it can often be positive and motivational. Work-related pressure can then become work-related stress when employees do not feel supported by their employers in dealing with these stressors.
The impact of this on the business can be seen in higher absences, reduced productivity, low staff engagement, employee tension and disputes. Businesses need to make sure their employees have the resources and support necessary to cope with work-related stress to improve employee well-being and overall performance.
What are the signs of stress?
There are many signs that an individual may be suffering from work-related stress. It is imperative you pay attention to these signs and address them, as work-related stress can lead to serious physical and mental health issues.
Examples of stress signs include:
- Declining/inconsistent performance
- Loss of motivation/commitment
- Increased time at work (Presenteeism)
- Lack of holiday usage.
- Crying
- Arguments
- Sensitiveness
- Petulance
- Arriving late or leaving early
- Absenteeism
- Reduced contact
- Aggressive behaviour
- Bullying or harassment
- Bad temper
- Sweating
- Tiredness
- Tension headaches
- Rapid weight gain or loss
When you identify stress signs, it’s critical to approach the employee with respect and empathy. Although, before stress or its impact becomes apparent, employers should be focusing on prevention and early intervention, by addressing the issue immediately and proactively, employers can create an environment that supports employees in managing their stress levels before it escalates to a point of having a significant impact.
How can I prevent work related stress?
In effect, stress is one of the factors on your health and safety risk assessment. As an employer, you should concentrate on identifying stress triggers and then creating and applying strategies to reduce them. Through the implementation of such strategies, employers can help their employees lead healthier and more productive work lives.
These include:
- Stress risk assessments. These allow employers to source and provide employees with resources to decrease or eliminate stress and its stimuli.
- Staff surveys and/or focus groups to identify causes.
- Managers should be provided with relevant resources to ensure they have the necessary skills to effectively manage their teams and workloads, in order to mitigate any potential causes of stress that may be identified through staff surveys and/or focus groups.
- Regular staff meetings, 121 and team building opportunities.
- Provide increased support for staff during periods of change and uncertainty.
- Managers should lead by example and promote healthy working habits.
- Managers should reflect on their own management style.
- Create and implement stress management policies.
- Promote an open mental health culture.
- Develop an Employee Assistance Program that provides confidential support.
Is early intervention important for managing stress at work?
Being able to identify and address signs of a work-related stress issue at its early stages can protect an employee’s well-being and consequently, your business.
If employers observe signs of stress or employees feel comfortable disclosing they are stressed, early action is crucial. This is significant because stress can quickly spiral out of control and have serious consequences on an employee’s physical and mental health, as well as on their performance. Taking early action can help prevent the issue from escalating, allowing the employee to return to their job feeling supported and renewed motivation.
Employers should:
- Develop a supportive work culture to encourage staff to discuss and seek support.
- Provide access to mental health resources, such as counselling, workshops, and seminars.
- Ensure staff members have access to flexible working arrangements.
- Provide training aimed at equipping employees with the tools to develop their own personal resilience.
There are many ways work-related stress can negatively impact an employee’s behaviour, performance, and relationships, which, if not dealt with correctly, can also pose a risk to your business. However, there are also many ways to prevent these from becoming a risk.
