Stress at work comes in all shapes and sizes. A certain level of stress is healthy, natural and even desirable. It’s important for your motivation and job satisfaction that you find your work stimulating and stretching.

Problems occur when you feel the pressures at work are excessive and you feel unable to cope with the demands placed upon you. The ability to cope with high levels of stress will be impacted by events outside of work such as bereavement, family sickness and other personal problems which also cause stress.

“ Stress is the single largest cause of occupational ill health, accounting for around half of all days lost to work-related ill health in these sectors, much of it stress-related.” HSE

Work-related stress caused workers in Great Britain to lose 10.4 million working days in 2011/12 based on  the Labour Force Survey  data.

On average, each person suffering from  stress  took 24 days off work. This is one of the highest  average days lost per case figure amongst the recognised health complaints
(see:  www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/swit1.xls)

 MIND www.mind.org.uk research states that

  • Conditions like anxiety, depression and unmanageable stress affect 1 in 6 British workers each year
  • Up to five million workers feel ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressed by their work, with half a million believing it is making them ill
  • Mental ill health costs UK employers over £26bn every year as a result of absence, reduced productivity and staff turnover – £1,035 per employee
  • One in five people fear mentioning stress to their manager  who would put them first in line for redundancy
  • One in four said they would be perceived as less capable than other colleagues if they admitted to stress
  • 54 per cent said stress and mental distress is a taboo subject in the workplace
  • One in three said time off for stress was seen as an ‘excuse’ for something else
  • One in five workers had called in sick due to unmanageable stress, but 93 per cent did not tell their boss the real reason
  • One in seven had started taking anti-depressants
  • Employees feel unable to speak up about issues, for fear of discrimination
  • Employers fear broaching the subject, for fear of exacerbating distress or any legal consequences

There is no such thing as a stress-free job. Indeed, we need a certain amount of stress in our lives in order to achieve our goals. However, too much pressure, long hours and unrealistic deadlines can cause stress at work. Individuals differ in their response to stress and to how much stress they can take before it becomes harmful. We not only need to understand where stress is coming from but to realize that its causes and effects are quite different for different people.  (See Personality Types).

DOES YOUR COMPANY HAVE A STRESS POLICY?

DOES YOUR COMPANY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS?

DO YOU HAVE STRESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING IN PLACE?

SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER OR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH TODAY!!