Work-related stress has substantial consequences for both employers and employees. Stress affects absence, performance and personnel retention rates of employees. We explore what steps employers can take to minimise work-related stress and protect their employees.
Causes of work-related stress
Most work-related stress cases are caused by pressures felt by employees as a result of job demands, the (lack of) support received from managers and other colleagues, the role of the individual in that organisation and the relationships within the workplace. An employer should try to establish the cause of the stress. Is the company going through a particularly busy period for that industry? Does management offer poor support to employees? Is the individual going through a hard personal time and needs support from their employer? Stress affects each of us in different ways. What causes stress to one individual may not necessarily stress another. Factors affecting how an employee reacts to stress in the workplace include skills, experience, age, or disability.
What is a stress risk assessment?
Employers have a statutory duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees. There are steps that employers can take to try and protect their employees from stress at work and one of these is by carrying out individual stress risk assessments. This requires a thorough examination to be carried out which investigates factors that might cause workers to suffer from work-related stress. Carrying out a stress risk assessment allows the employer to identify whether they have adequate measures in place to support their staff and manage stress in the workplace.
When should these assessments be carried out?
An employer should carry out a stress-risk assessment as soon as they know, or should reasonably have known, that there is a potential stress problem for an employee. This may be as a result of that employee providing a fit note stating their mental health symptoms, or the individual might tell their employer that they are feeling particularly stressed at the moment. Case law highlights the importance of employers taking steps as early as they can, or as soon as they are notified by their employee that they are suffering from work-related stress so that solutions are considered promptly to improve the situation for the employee.
What steps should employers take if an employee has reported work-related stress?
- It is essential for employers to communicate with the individual, and also talk to other staff about what the employer is planning on doing in terms of the stress risk assessment.
- An employer should then take steps to gather evidence that’s available, to find out whether this is an issue across the organisation or if it’s specific to the individual.
- Review sickness absence figures. Employers should look at statistics regarding employee turnover, review exit interviews and look at the number of referrals made to occupational health so that the employer assesses the situation.
- Present and consult these findings with staff, and give staff an opportunity to suggest possible changes that can be implemented to try and reduce work-related stress if it has been identified as an issue.
- Implement these changes and establish a review process, so that stress in the workplace is kept on the radar in the future. If work-related stress is high on the agenda, this provides an opportunity for stress to be identified and then steps can be taken to deal with this appropriately.
Employers should take a step back and consider the bigger picture. It may be the case that other individuals are also feeling the same way and further measures should be taken to protect employees.
What if an employer does not carry out a stress risk assessment?
As previously mentioned, failing to control stress in the workplace can lead to significant risks, not only to the employee’s mental health, but also to the employer’s business. Work-related stress can be costly for businesses as it may lead to high levels of absenteeism, or high numbers of employees resigning. An employer should also consider the wider perspective, as high stress may lead to a decline in productivity, and can impact the company’s culture and reputation.
From a legal perspective, an employer who fails to identify and take reasonable steps to prevent stress in the workplace may be at risk of facing claims for constructive dismissal. The employee may argue that their employer aren’t dealing with their work-related stress appropriately and feel they have no choice but to resign as a result. An employer may alternatively be faced by a claim of unfair dismissal, if an employee has been dismissed on grounds of capability as a result of their stress.