Work-related Stress

Prevent, reduce and manage stress in the workplace

People feel stressed when they can’t cope with pressures and demands put on them, along with other issues. This can lead to chronic physical and mental health conditions.

Stress, depression or anxiety account for a huge 51% of all work-related ill health cases and 55% of all working days lost due to work-related ill health. It’s not just the people who feel this way that are impacted, it also has a big effect on business and our economy.

Recognising the signs of stress will help employers to take steps to prevent, reduce and manage stress in the workplace. Do the right thing and protect your workers from work-related stress.

What should you do?

Employers have a legal duty to protect employees from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it. The earlier a problem is tackled the less impact it will have.

If you already have a risk assessment in place, consider whether you need to re-assess the situation due to changes and challenges brought about by coronavirus that may have created new stress.

Six key factors to consider

Employers should assess the risks in the following areas to manage stress in the workplace. If not properly managed, they are associated with poor health, lower productivity and increased accident and sickness absence rates.

Demands – workload, work patterns and the work environment
Control – how much say the person has in the way they do their work
Support – encouragement, sponsorship and resources available to workers
Relationships – promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour
Role – whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures that they do not have conflicting roles
Change – how change (large or small) is managed and communicated.

Help and guidance

Visit https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/ for a range of practical support and guidance available including risk assessment templates, a talking toolkit to help start conversations, workbooks and posters.

Work-related stress and how to tackle it.
Complete or review your risk assessment for stress.
Learn more about the six key factors and download the management standards workbook.
Download the mobile app to help you better understand the law and what is required to protect employees.
Access the automated stress indicator tool (SIT) to measure your employees attitudes and perceptions towards work-related stress – free to use for up to 50 employees.

You can also sign up for free email updates and follow the conversation on HSE’s social media channels Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Contact Details

Corporate Communications
2.2 Redgrave Court
Merton Rd
Bootle
L20 7HS

campaigns@hse.gov.uk