Member Article

With more than 13 million working days a year lost to stress at an estimated cost of £3.8 billion to the economy, managing employees’ anxiety levels has never been more important Although the figure of half a million workers in the UK experiencing work-related stress at intolerable levels appears manageable, this is really only the tip of the iceberg with up to five million people feeling 'very' or 'extremely' stressed by work. Stress is rightly seen as part of occupational health but there often remains a degree of scepticism among management about workers who complain about stress and a lack of adequate workplace policies to deal with cases when they arise. In a bid to tackle this growing epidemic, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently published new 'Management Standards' to help employers tackle stress on an ongoing basis. The HSE is committed to reducing work-related ill-health by 20% by 2010 and also to reduce the number of working days lost from work-related injury and ill health by 30% - but how does it intend to meet these targets? In the first place, the HSE has a wide range of enforcement powers to ensure employers fulfil their duties under health and safety legislation. These range from issuing improvement notices to failing employers, to criminal prosecution accompanied by a potentially unlimited fine. For instance, West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust was issued with an improvement notice by the HSE about the lack of appropriate systems in place, as it did not have a work related stress policy or a risk assessment of work related stress factors. Employers should also be aware of the hefty financial costs to their business in defending claims from employees for personal injury, constructive or unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. The second track to the HSE initiative is to emphasise the potential savings that employers could enjoy if they manage stress more appropriately. Stress accounts for around 40% of the 33 million working days lost a year through work-related ill health and therefore managing stress should be a critical element of managing sickness absence in general, rather than be seen as a soft issue which is not worthy of much management time. Several case studies undertaken by the Health and Safety Commission revealed savings of £11 million through reduced sickness absence and also a reduction in health insurance spending. Employers often struggle to be convinced by the theory of reducing stress in the workplace, but what practical steps can be taken to achieve this? Perhaps the overriding principles are to intervene early and then maintain ongoing contact. The likelihood of people returning to work diminishes markedly after more than six weeks absence through stress. Early intervention can ensure that the employee is aware of the support systems available at work including the possibility of agreeing return-to-work plans such as shorter hours initially and workplace adjustments. The HSE has identified six areas of common and persistent pressures where there is a particular risk of stress: workload, control, support, relationships, role and change management. Management however, cannot impose stress policies. Employees should be consulted to ensure their 'buy-in' and also to devise a policy that is tailored to the needs of the particular workforce. Systems should be put in place that encourage regular sharing of information between staff and management, early detection of inappropriate workloads or lack of skills and frequent airing of any concerns. Faced with tackling stress in the workplace, employers frequently respond that 'we cannot manage what we cannot measure.' While dealing with stress in the workplace is a difficult issue, it is one that cannot be ignored and adopting a proactive approach may lead to significant improvements in staff sickness levels, productivity and workforce morale. At the very least it will help to protect employers from actions raised either by employees or the HSE.

 

Footnotes: Kim Pattullo is a solicitor specialising in employment law with commercial law firm Shepherd+ Wedderburn 44 (0)131 473 5143