This month is Stress Awareness month. Workplace stress relates to stress caused by a person's work environment.  If the balance in your workplace it loaded toward negative experiences, then it can affect your ability to perform at your optimum in your job.  According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) during 2022/2023 there was a higher increase in the reporting of work- related illnesses than prior to the lockdown that was caused by the corona virus.   Public Health England reported that the highest numbers of self-reported work-related illnesses were Depression and Anxiety.  The HSE reported that research had found   Education workers have a higher than average rate of work-related stress.

The impact of workplace stress to a business can be absenteeism as staff are absent from work due to a stress related illness.  This in turn can create a situation in which the remaining staff must take on extra responsibilities to cover the gaps in the business.  They may do so for little or no reward.  This may cause a lowering of motivation in the staff and affect the performance of an organisation.

Some examples of workplace stressors

An inability to cope with the demands of the job.  This might mean that the employee may not have sufficient training or the information that they require to do their job effectively. 

Poor relationships at work. This can include bullying, or toxic behaviour in the work environment that can cause a stressful working environment for an employee.

Issues in an employee's private life.  Relationship problems with spouses, children or family.  Financial or Health issues can also be a contributory factor to workplace stress. People may say that you should leave your problems at home when you go to work. However, this is not always possible as much as you may try to do this.  We are humans not robots.

Always remember that everybody responds differently to different stressors.  What may cause one person a high level of stress may not have an impact on another person. Humans are diverse beings. One thing that we should all recognise is that if a job is affecting your health there is always something you can do.  Listen to your body and do not tolerate behaviours because you are afraid of letting the side down or you want to maintain the status quo.

Think about this for a moment. If you died at your desk your family would get a sympathy card, and your job would be advertised once they had removed you from the building. The only person visiting your grave sometimes will be your family if you got on.  Prioritise your wellbeing when you are at work.  Take your breaks, take annual leave. Leave on time and go and do something different to give your perspective a change. If you do not want to do something, say no. Don't say yes do it reluctantly and then moan about it afterward. Be honest and people will accept that. They may not like it, but it is not your problem. 

Employers have a legal responsibility to deal with workplace stress and must risk assess the potential of stress related illness resulting in a work activity and mitigate that risk by controlling it.  If employers consider that they don’t have a role to play in the management of risk of workplace stress, then the courts will not look favourably on them if a personal injury claim is filed and proven against them.

Employers can develop a policy that is based on The Management Standards approach that is recommended by the HSE 

 The Management Standards cover six key areas of work design that are the main sources of stress at work.   When they are poorly designed it can result in employees experiencing ill health and can cause of sickness absences from work.  The Standards define a desirable set of conditions for organisations to work towards.

 1 Demands: Includes issues such as workload, work patterns and the work environment.

 2 Control: How much say do the people have over the way they work?

3 Support: Includes encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues.

4 Relationships: Includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.

5 Role: Do people understand their role within the organisation and does the organisation ensure roles are not conflicting?

 6 Change: How is organisational change (large and small) managed and communicated?

 

Sources

Health and Safety Executive

www.hse.gov.uk