Our headline statistic is a frightening, but easily believable one, with the rising cost in expectations placed on employees and their employers as well as the general cost of living and strain on family budgets.
Of course, we can't offer a solution, but with National Stress Awareness Day coming up in between the Halloween and Bonfire Night festivities - November 4th - we wanted to point out a few tips an statistics that might cast a light on any issues either you or your team might be facing.
- The HSE defines work-related stress as: “The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work.” [Source: HSE]
Stress is a mental health issue and can sometimes be recognised by any of the following signs:
- Complaints or negative feedback from customers
- Disputes and disaffection within the company and among employees
- Increase in complaints and grievances
- Increase in staff turnover
- Increased reports or murmurings of stress
- Increased sickness absence
- Poor performance or lower output
Other signs, particularly if someone is depressed, might be tearfulness, headaches, loss of humour and changes in emotional mood.
If you believe that you are suffering from stress, you should actively seek help from your GP or consider speaking to your HR department or a trusted colleague about best next steps, so it doesn't negatively affect your professional life.
As an employer you can ensure that lines of communication are as effective as possible by encouraging a healthy balance in the workplace and a willingness to engage with employees.
Under UK law, all employers are subject to a ‘duty of care’, protecting employees’ health, safety and welfare – which include stress management.
Stress Statistics in the UK Workplace
- Mental Health Foundation calls for more help in managing stress as 59% of British adults say their life is more stressful than it was five years ago [Source: Mental Health Foundation]
- Money and work top survey results as main causes of stress in Britain [Source: Mental Health Foundation]
- People three times more likely to drink alcohol to help deal with stress than would go to a GP. [Source: Mental Health Foundation]
- The total number of working days lost due to stress, depression or anxiety was 11.3 million in 2013/14, an average of 23 days per case of stress, depression or anxiety [Source: HSE / Labour Force Survey]
- The industries that reported the highest rates of total cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety (three-year average) were human health and social work, education and public administration and defence. [Source: HSE / Labour Force Survey]
- The occupations that reported the highest rates of total cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety (three-year average) were health professionals (in particular nurses), teaching and educational professionals, and health and social care associate professionals (in particular welfare and housing associate professionals). [Source: HSE / Labour Force Survey]
- Up to ½ million people in the UK have work related stress often resulting in illness. [Source: Stressuless / HSE]
- Up to 5 million people in the UK are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressed through work. [Source: Stressuless / HSE]
- ‘Stress, depression and anxiety’ are the second most commonly reported work related illnesses. [Source: Stressuless / HSE]
National Stress Awareness Day 2015
This year's awareness day is on November 4th and has the theme, “Employee Wellbeing as a Worthwhile Investment in Your Business”, so be sure to take note. The hashtag being used to raise awareness is #NationalStressAwarenessDay2015.
Find out more via this link.
