Your Work and Your Health

Work-related stress - the employees' perspective

Please click here for Frequently Asked Questions

• Stress is an adverse reaction that can arise when people are placed in situations of excessive pressure or when unreasonable demands are placed upon them.

• It is always better to work to prevent stress developing in the first place and this can be achieved by having an open and honest relationship with your employers, with colleagues or worker representatives, so that you can discuss any problems that you face in your workplace. Unfortunately, this is not always possible.

• If you are concerned about your stress level at work, you must bring this to the attention of your employer or manager, as your employer has the responsibility to secure your health and safety at work (The Health and Safety Work Etc. Act, 1974 (HSWA)). The Management of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires your employer to assess risks to your health in the workplace.

• Stress can be caused by factors outside your control and may affect people in different ways.

• You must not ignore stress in the hope that it will go away

• Taking alcohol, sleeping pills and smoking is not the cure for work-related stress

Frequently Asked Questions

• What should I be looking out for as signs that I am stressed?
  
• Why might I be stressed?
• Why as an employee should I be concerned about stress in the workplace?
• How bad can this problem get?
• What are the consequences of prolonged stress?
• What should I do if I am stressed?
• I am an employee in small firm so what can my employer do about this problem?
• Where can I get help and advice?
• If my stress is due to lack of training what should I do?
• My employer is worried about releasing me for training during working hours what can I do?
• My employer is not convinced that training is of value to the company?
  

What should I be looking out for signs that I am stressed?

Typical signs of stress include excess tiredness, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, difficulty in concentrating on your work, and reduced output and quality of your work. You might have frequent near miss accidents. Socialising at work is no longer appealing to you and you feel isolated and lonely. You might also be irritable towards your boss and colleagues.

It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that you are not subjected to a level of stress that damages your health. It is not easy to deal with people suffering from prolonged stress and everyone should aim to prevent stress developing in the first place. If you have been subjected to stress over a long period you may well be experiencing a variety of symptoms such as:

• Tiredness
• Back pain and headaches
• Loss of concentration
• Reduced work output and quality
• Anxiety and depression
• Loss of interest in your work and social life.

These symptoms are not necessarily due to stress but if you experience a sense of pressure and constant worries about your work they are typical signs of work-related stress. The other important question to ask yourself is whether you feel that you cannot cope with your personal workload.

  Back to the top

Why might I be stressed?

If stress is work-related then the following points may be the cause:

1. Modern working practices and technology have significantly changed the way that we are expected to work and lead to the feeling of being overwhelmed with messages and tasks.
2. In many sectors, employees are constantly under pressure to deliver to targets, some of which are impractical and unachievable.
3. There are many regulations to be followed in business and employment, and lack of familiarity with these can create additional tension and stress.
4. You may be working in an unfriendly or hostile working environment with few opportunities to discuss your concerns and difficulties.

Why as an employee should I be concerned about stress in the workplace?

The most important point is that it will affect you personally .

If your work is the problem, you may be subjected to stressful situations on a regular basis. Statistics demonstrate that stress caused by work is the largest cause of work-related ill health in the UK and Europe. About half a million workers in the UK are thought to suffer from a stress-related illness that is caused, or made worse, by their work

If you are an employee in a small company and you are suffering from stress, obviously the productivity of that company will go down if you are absent from work or not performing as effectively as you could. Ultimately this may affect your company's profitability and finally your employment.

It is the responsibility of your employer to make sure (by practical means) that this does not happen. However, as an employee, you can also help by being aware of working practices that could create stress and then making your employer and worker representatives aware of these problems. If the problem is ignored then it is important that you know where to get help and advice. If you take leave of absence because of stress at work, this may also affect your colleagues who have to cover your work during a period of absence.

  Back to the top

How bad can this problem get?

If you take no action, prolonged periods of stress can increase the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome, increase the risk of heart disease, increase the risk of cancer or lead to exhaustion, depression and mental illness. These conditions can lead to prolonged sickness absence from work.

  Back to the top

What are the consequences of prolonged stress?

The loss of your income for an indefinite period is one problem, but there are other issues such as loss of self-esteem, added pressure on your personal or family life and potentially loss of employment. This may affect your general health.

  Back to the top

What should I do if I am stressed?

Learn how to spot the early signs of stress or factors that contribute to this. Discuss your worries with colleagues and line managers or your worker representatives at an early stage. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have developed a simple set of tools that your employers can use to determine which areas of work are leading to stress amongst employees. These guidelines contain ideas and advice on how to change the working environment to reduce the occurrence of work-related stress. Inform your line manager that you may need time to get help either from health advisers at work, worker representatives or your GP.

  Back to the top

I am an employee in a small firm, so what can my employer do about this problem?

You should not feel guilty about reporting that you are suffering from stress at work. Employers should be aware of the help they can call upon to support them in their responsibility to their employees. Larger companies may employ occupational health services and you should have access to these. If you are in a small company, these services are not usually available, so you should consider talking to your GP as well as your employer. Many areas of the country have local occupational health advisory services (see links below) that can also provide help and advice. It is the legal responsibility of your employers to carry out an assessment of your working conditions to ensure that your health is not put at risk by your work. A good employer will work together with their staff to ensure that, by team work, the risk of stress is reduced by changing the working environment and workload.

• Sheffield Occupational Health Advsiry Services (SOHAS) - www.sohas.co.uk
• Better Health at Work, Kirklees - www.whig.org.uk/groups/kirklees/

 

Where can I get help and advice?

There are many sources of help and advice freely available to you. You can gain advice and guidance on the Health & Safety Executive's Stress Management Site (www.hse.gov.uk/stress).

There is also a free leaflet available entitled 'Tackling work-related stress -a guide for employees' (INDG34)

Alternatively, you can call the HSE helpline (tel: 08701 545500) where free copies of these documents can be obtained.

  Back to the top

If my stress is due to lack of training what should I do?

If your stress is due to lack of training you should discuss with your employer whether you need training to build up your confidence. However, your employer may be concerned about the cost or time required for the training. There are various government agencies that may be able to help direct you to suitable training programmes or financial support for this training. Please see links page for further information.

  Back to the top

My employer is worried about releasing me for training during working hours what can I do?

The organisations mentioned below can help you obtain training for a range of skills. Some of these courses are provided at minimal cost through subsidies from the Learning & Skills Council. This training can be completed at a time convenient to you and with minimal impact upon your work. This may be via a computer at your place of work, in your home, or at a Business Training Centre (www.learndirect-business.co.uk).

  Back to the top

My employer is not convinced that training is of value to the company?

Your first action should be practical and simple solutions developed by team work between the employers and employees. However, there may be value in receiving specific training if this provides you with the skills to help others identify potential solutions to the problem, or gives you the confidence to communicate more effectively with other people. Preventing stress in the workplace is about employers and employees finding practical solutions relevant to your working environment. Improvements to productivity and efficiency can follow such a change but are unlikely to occur when employee's health is harmed by avoidable stress.

  Back to the top