Workplace Wellbeing was the key theme for yesterday’s Stress Awareness Day (2nd Nov 2016). Stress has been named as a leading cause of long term sickness absence in the recent CIPD / Simply Health annual Absence Survey (1st Nov 2016). The Better Health at Work Alliance (BHWA) has warned employers that the cost to business of inaction on the issue of stress is far greater than investing in simple and effective interventions to prevent and reduce it.
The impact of health on work and, equally, work on health has been put back in the limelight as key organisations and experts call for more attention on the impacts of stress in the workplace. The Better Health at Work Alliance (BHWA), ACAS and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) are amongst many voices eager to draw employers’ attention to the issue.
A paradigm shift is gradually taking place as the awareness of mental health issues in general takes hold amongst UK organisations – but plenty more is yet to be done if problems like the impact of stress on workplace wellbeing are to be managed correctly on a wide scale basis.
Brand new findings from the CIPD's annual sickness absence survey name stress as the most common cause of long-term sickness absence for both manual and non-manual workers, notably topping the list for the first time.
In addition to increasing awareness, long overdue support – such as the recent Early Day Motion (EDM) in parliament, led by Norman Lamb and supported by 28 MPs, arguing for the requirement of trained Mental Health First Aiders in every organisation to be included within the current first aid legislation – shows that change is slowly coming into play.
The BHWA suggests that employers would be wise to act sooner in amending their approach, if they haven’t already, to ensure that as a minimum they are familiar with the chief stressors at work and have empowered and trained line managers to know how to respond to signs of mental ill-health, including stress. There are many expert services and resources available for employers to signpost or refer to; some wellness initiatives are free of charge and all have an excellent business case.
Common law dictates that employers must take ‘reasonable care’ to preserve the safety and health of their employees. This includes a specific duty to assess and take measures to control risks from work-related stress.
Charlotte Cross, Director of the Better Health at Work Alliance explains “Stress is a very real issue but in many cases stress ‘at work’ is usually caused by underlying social and personal factors (stressors) that reduce an individual’s ability to cope with challenges. These hurdles then become ‘last straw’ style triggers or flash points for overwhelming stress. Often, without such underlying social factors contributing, the ensuing flash point that led to a stress at work diagnosis from a GP, might not happen.
“It is essential for employers to be aware and supportive of stress within their staff, and its ensuing impact upon health, regardless of cause. There are lots of ways employers can make a difference by engaging with CBT programmes, resilience training and more”.
“Even many social stressors or triggers are not off limits for employers, such as debt, for instance. Financial anxiety is a common and significant stressor, and yet it is a simple step for an employer to identify this and signpost onwards for free impartial support from a debt solutions provider.”
What Frontline Experts Advise – 3 different approaches Cliff Lee, head of CBT provider Rightsteps, explains:
"Stress contributes to the largest category of employee sickness in the UK, with estimates suggesting the average employee is “stressed” for 35% of the working week - circa 84 days a year. The impact of unmanageable stress on both individuals and organisations is huge and where left unchecked and / or unmanaged can lead to further health conditions including significant Mental Health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Employers can play a key role in ensuring that workplaces recognise potential ‘stress triggers’ for their employees, and where required provide access to specialist support including talking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which are proven to assist individuals in becoming better able to cope with their own individual triggers which can be the cause of stress."
Fiona Penfold, Managing Director of occupational health consultancy Trident Medical Services, expands:
"Stress will impact upon everyone differently and it can be work or non-work related or a mixture of both. A stressed employee may also be taking time off work as a way of coping emotionally. Stress not only accounts for sickness absence but it can also impact on productivity - if a member of staff is either physically unwell or feeing the emotional effects of stress they are unlikely to be productive. This can also impact on their colleagues – with the possibility of their workload increasing to compensate. This in turn can increase the stress levels of other members of staff, thus the issue multiplies. We work with our clients to introduce initiatives such as coping and resilience training, along with counselling, training for line managers and a return-to-work rehabilitation plan for individual employees. A good Occupational Health services provider can not only advise on carrying out a risk assessment but can also support employers in dealing with individual cases."
Rachel Linstead from wellbeing consultancy Firecracker UK suggests:
"We have stress in our lives; we can’t get rid of it and we can’t avoid it, but we can look at how we can help our body deal with it. Performance at work is directly linked to managing energy through diet, and stress is no exception. When we are stressed some of our body systems are up-regulated so we need more nutrients in our diet to support our health. Employers need to recognise that right food in the workplace can play a role in coping with stress and boosting productive time. At the same, to ensure results we need to be careful about making the right choices – for instance avoiding a comforting ‘cake culture’."
Phoenix Occupational Health can advise and help you with initiatives to promote stress awareness and management in the workplace. Being proactive and encouraging a healthy lifestyle has benefits to workers health. By providing this kind of activity within the workplace you can boost employee morale and reduce stress.
Phoenix Occupational Health can deliver any type of health promotional activity, not just stress-related. Some examples of health promotion work we've undertaken for businesses so far are:
- Smoking cessation
- Weight loss clinics
- Alcohol education
- Drugs awareness
- Stress management
- Cholesterol testing
- Healthy lifestyle
- Cancer awareness
Contact us to find out more.
