April is Stress Awareness month, and with stress, depression and anxiety accounting for almost half of all work-related ill-health cases, it’s clear that effective strategies for dealing with workplace stress are urgently needed.
Recent research by AXA UK and Centre for Business and Economic Research (Cebr) estimates that 23.3 million days were lost last year due to stress, burnout, and poor mental health, costing the economy £28 billion. These figures highlight the urgency for employers to prioritise support and implement effective measures to mitigate workplace stressors.
Recognising the signs of stress
If left unmanaged, stress can lead to more serious long-term mental and physical health issues such as anxiety, muscle tension and pain, heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, sleep problems, weight gain and strokes. It’s therefore important for employers to effectively support their managers and team members to spot the signs of stress. These may include:
- Loss of interest in work
- Reduced quality of work
- Loss of sense of humour
- Decreased communication
- Increased sickness absence
- Difficulty concentrating
- Poor time-keeping
- Tiredness and irritability
- Physical illness, e.g. nausea, headaches, aches & pains
The law relating to stress in the workplace
Whatever size the organisation, all employers have a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all their employees at work. This includes care for the mental health of their employees. In particular, employers must carry out risk assessments of the health and safety risks employees may be exposed to while at work and for organisations with five or more employees, the significant findings of the assessment should be recorded as well as any group of employees being particularly at risk.
When considering how to reduce work-related stress, the HSE has a wide variety of advice and guidance for employers including template risk assessments.
What to do if an employee is signed off with work-related stress
An employee is unlikely to return to work unless the source of stress has been alleviated or removed. It’s a good idea to try to speak with them as soon as possible to find out how you might be able to alleviate the causes of stress, and help facilitate their return to work. The following steps may help:
- Talk to the employee either in person or over the phone. If you do choose to meet them in person, choosing a neutral setting like a café can make the employee feel more relaxed and supported.
- Approach the discussion sensitively, asking about the factors causing their stress at work. Be mindful not to pressure them into sharing more than they’re comfortable with.
- Focus on offering support rather than focusing on issues which may increase their stress levels.
- As an employer, when an employee is off sick due to work-related stress, you have a duty of care to carry out a risk assessment and consider making any reasonable adjustments to facilitate a smooth transition back to work. This could include changes to working arrangements or shift patterns, or reduced working hours for a period of time.
- Work together with the employee to create an action plan outlining the steps you will take to alleviate the identified work-related stressors and support their recovery and return to work.
Keeping in touch with an employee off work with work-related stress
Whilst there is no law to prevent an employer contacting an employee who is off work due to stress, employers may understandably apprehensive about exacerbating what can already be a sensitive situation.
Employers should maintain a reasonable amount of regular contact with the absent employee to demonstrate concern and gather updates on their health status. The employee often benefits from regular contact because it can:
- prevent isolation
- support them while off sick
- help with the return to work
Strike the right balance of communication and review this regularly in partnership with the employee. While it’s important to respect their wishes, a level of communication is also needed to ensure that both parties are clear on where they stand.
When the employee is ready to return to work, put some time aside to catch up and make your own judgement about whether they’re ready to return. Conducting a return-to-work interview will give you the opportunity to discuss the reasons behind the absence and establish whether there’s anything that you can do to make their return to work easier.
Proactive approach to stress management is key
Early intervention can help prevent stress from escalating by identifying and addressing issues before they become more serious. This can help employees feel supported and prevent more significant problems, such as burnout or mental health issues, from arising.
Line managers play a crucial role in identifying and managing stress in their teams. Employers should ensure that line managers are provided with the necessary training and resources to support their team’s wellbeing effectively. Despite the increasing expectation for line managers to look after people’s health and wellbeing, many employers do not provide adequate training and support.
Legal implications of work-related stress
If an employee raises a complaint about work-related stress, they may consider bringing a claim against their employer. This could involve a range of potential claims, which can often become complicated. For instance, determining whether medical conditions caused by stress have a significant and long-term adverse impact on an employee’s day-to-day activities and whether they may amount to a disability, could pose a significant challenge for employers. We would strongly recommend seeking legal advice from a specialist employment law firm if faced with such challenges.
