Employers, particularly those that have had to make redundancies as a result of the recession, need to be aware of the signs of work-related stress in their staff. Redundancy survivors may have to work longer hours to cover the work previously carried out by redundant ex-colleagues, while at the same time facing the threat of redundancy themselves.
Employers that do not address work-related stress may be subject to negligence claims, not to mention the damaging effects of poor morale and increased absenteeism on their business. The most recent statistics available from the Health and Safety Executive (on its website) indicate that self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for an estimated 11.4 million lost working days in Britain in 2008/09.
The current series of XpertHR’s Topic of the Week (subscription required) looks at work-related stress. In the first article in the series, Elizabeth Stevens of Steeles (Law) LLP provides an overview of why employers need to be alert to work-related stress. Future articles in the series will include a look at measures that employers can take to support employees who appear to be suffering from stress, a case study and FAQs on this subject.
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