Westminster Compliance

The causes and triggers of stress have always been present in the workplace and it’s not hard to make the connection – when jobs are under threat, pay packets are being frozen, and workloads are increasing, employee’s mental health is bound to be affected.

It therefore comes as no surprise to read the new figures from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), showing that for the very first time stress is the most common cause of long-term sickness absence for both manual and non-manual workers.

Employers have a duty under health and safety law to assess and take measures to control risks from work-related stress. Also under common law employers need to take reasonable care to ensure the health and safety of their employees.

So what measures have been implemented in your workplace to help keep stress levels down?

The results of recent research has shown that young workers (18-29 year olds) are feeling more pressured at work due to the recession causing them to work longer hours than their older colleagues (those in their fifties/sixties).

Working longer hours, insufficient resources and employers  using the recession to justify asking them to do more is leading to more & more younger workers to feeling stressed in the workplace as they find an inbalance between work life and personal health.

On the other hand, older workers  aren’t feeling the stress and pressures as much – although don’t let this stop you from completing your risk assessments and making sure you provide your employees with a stress-free working environment.