Stress Assessment

Employer Duties – under the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 you have a duty to assess the risk of stress related ill health arising from work activities and under the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to take measures to control that risk.

What is stress?

Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them. There is a clear distinction between pressure, which can create a ‘buzz’ and be a motivating factor, and stress, which can occur when the pressure becomes excessive.

Approximately 11 million working days are lost every year as a result of work related stress, depression and anxiety.

Research has shown work related stress to have adverse effects for organisations in terms of;

employee commitment to work
staff performance and productivity
accidents caused by human error
staff turnover and intention to leave
attendance levels
customer satisfaction
organisational image and reputation
potential litigation

How can we help?

Reduce work related stress using The Management Standards Approach. This approach covers the six key areas of work design that if not properly managed, are associated with poor health and wellbeing, lower productivity and increased sickness absence. In other words, the six management standards cover the primary sources of stress at work. These are;

Demands – this includes issues such as workload, work patterns and the work environment.
Control – how much say the person has in the way they do their work.
Support – this includes encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues.
Relationships – this includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
Role – whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures they do not have conflicting roles.
Change – how organisational change is managed and communicated in the organisation.