Businesses in Scotland invited to join free work-related stress webinar
A free webinar providing advice and guidance on tackling work-related stress is being held for businesses in Scotland.
The ‘Stress and mental health at work – what businesses needs to know’ webinar will take place on 14 September, 10am –11am. Hosted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as part of its Working Minds campaign, in partnership with Lifelines Scotland.
In Great Britain, in 2020/21, 822,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. The most recent Deloitte report estimates that the total annual cost of poor mental health to employers has increased by 25% since 2019.
Employers have a legal duty to assess and respond to the risks of work-related stress, in the same way as they would respond to physical health risks. The HSE webinar will provide small businesses expertise, advice and insight into preventing and reducing work-related stress to support good mental health, with speakers including experts from HSE as well as Gillian Moreton, Service Lead for Lifelines Scotland.
“Work-related stress matters because we spend a lot of time at work, and the good news is, that good work is good for us” says Gill. “As well as providing us with the income to support our families and our loved ones, good work also gives us a sense of purpose, of self-esteem and social support with our colleagues.”
Sarah Jones, Head of Scotland Engagement Partnership team at HSE, said: “Getting this right is not only good for your team, but it’s better for business. We know that many employers don’t realise that the law requires them to prevent work related stress and support good mental health in the workplace.
“Stress is cumulative and workplace changes, increased workloads or responsibilities or lack of support can add to the pressure workers feel. Giving opportunities to discuss those problems and removing or mitigating those problems can stop workers being overwhelmed or becoming ill.
“We’re offering employers in Scotland the opportunity to join the webinar to better understand their legal duties, learn how to prevent risks developing, promote good mental health by spotting the signs of stress and taking action to protect their workers.”
