Stress Awareness Week

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has called on all employers during Stress Awareness Week (4th to 8th November) to ensure they comply with their legal duty to prevent work-related stress and support good mental health outcomes in the workplace.

HSE’s figures show that, on average, an employee suffering from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety will take 19.6 days off work (based on data from 875,000 cases in 2022/23). This nearly equates to a full month’s working days, which typically consist of around 20 workdays in a given month (excluding weekends and holidays).

HSE’s “Working Minds” campaign provides employers with simple steps to prevent these lost days. The Work-Related Stress and Mental Health Policy Lead at HSE stated:

“Statistics clearly outline that there is a work-related stress issue in Britain, and we want this to change. A total of 17.1 million working days were lost in 2022/23, and this figure has a serious cost to both individuals and businesses. Employers can make a difference by understanding and fulfilling their legal duty to prevent work-related stress and support good mental health at work. Prevention is better than cure, and understanding the risks is the first step to preventing them.”

Employer Responsibilities for Managing Stress

Employers have several key legal responsibilities regarding stress management:

• Conduct risk assessments for stress and take appropriate actions.
• Prevent work-related stress by addressing identified risks.
• Document all risk assessments, systems of work, and training. (For businesses with five or more employees, this is a legal requirement.)

It is good practice for all employers, regardless of size, to record risk assessments, document safe systems of work, training, and other evidence of due diligence. This allows for meaningful reviews and proper managerial and legal oversight.

Key Areas Leading to Work-Related Stress

There are six main areas that can lead to work-related stress if not managed properly:

1. Demands placed on employees.
2. Control that employees have over their work.
3. Support provided by the organisation.
4. Relationships within the workplace.
5. Role clarity for employees.
6. Change management and employees’ ability to cope with changes.

Factors such as skills and experience, age, or disability may also affect someone’s ability to cope.

The Five Rs of Stress Management

The Working Minds campaign encourages employers to follow the five Rs:

1. Reach out and have conversations about stress.
2. Recognise the signs and causes of stress.
3. Respond to the risks that have been identified.
4. Reflect on the actions taken.
5. Make these actions Routine.

Why Employers Should Prevent Work-Related Stress

Preventing work-related stress is essential for three main reasons:

• It is the law.
• It is good for business.
• It is the right thing to do.

Reminders for Employers

• Conduct risk assessments as needed, especially before starting new activities.
• Provide training on risk management and the associated risks.
• Supervise risk management continually until employees demonstrate competence.
• Review procedures regularly and update as necessary.
• Update training (including toolbox talks, in-house sessions, or formal external training).
• Maintain records of all the above processes.

If you need assistance with health and safety concerns, do not hesitate to contact your health and safety consultant or the central office for advice or assistance with:

• Your legal requirements regarding safety and health.
• Managing health and safety (both general and specific to business activities).
• The risk assessment process and how to conduct and record risk assessments.
• Conduct expectations in line with legal requirements when managing an activity.
• Required health surveillance based on activity risks.
• Evidencing due diligence.
• Identifying and meeting training needs (including provision and record-keeping).