Helping business cut the cost of work-related stress

THE Health and Safety Executive has launched a new approach to help employers work with their employees to manage the risks from work-related stress.

At over 13 million days a year, work-related stress is the biggest occupational cause of working days lost through injury or ill-health. With an average of 29 days lost per case, it costs society about £3.7 billion a year. In 2001/2, over 500,000 individuals in Britain experienced work-related stress at levels that made them ill.

With input from a range of businesses, professional bodies, unions and other government agencies, such as ACAS, the HSE has developed an approach based on a continuous-improvement model featuring a benchmarking tool to help managers gauge stress levels, compare themselves with other organizations and work with employees to identify solutions.

Along with the toolkit, the standards help large organizations meet their existing duty of care and their duty to assess the risk of work-related stress. The standards also define the characteristics of an organization where stress is managed effectively.

Bill Callaghan, chair of the Health and Safety Commission, said: ‘Pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated. But excessive pressure can lead to stress which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill. The standards highlight the components of good organization, job design and management that keep stress levels in check and enhance productivity.’

Hugh Robertson of the TUC, added: ‘In the absence of legislation, these standards are the most effective tool that employers can use to help end the epidemic of stress-related illnesses. We hope employers will work with safety representatives and stewards to use the standards.’