Managing Stress in the Workplace

No workplace is devoid of stress. Tackling the problem requires effort and collaboration between employers and employees, and should be reflected in your HR policies, as well as your disciplinary, grievance, redundancy, and sickness & absence procedures.

A recent survey by Perkbox revealed that 59% of adults cite work as their most common cause of stress, with only 9% saying they never feel stress due to work. This is a huge number, and while some stress at work is to be expected, recurring or severe levels of stress can only have a detrimental effect on morale and enthusiasm.

As an employer, you are obligated to manage stress in the same way you manage health & safety risks. The best way to do this is through a risk assessment.

When conducting a risk assessment for stress, there are a few key factors you need to consider. Knowing what to look for is crucial to the success of the assessment, so make sure you look out for:

• Lack of managerial support
• Tight deadlines
• Too many responsibilities
• Role uncertainty
• Workplace violence

There isn’t a standard method of conducting a risk assessment for stress. You can use a variety of methods. You might, for example, issue employees with a questionnaire, including questions relating to the person’s role, their workload, resources, and how their work is arranged in terms of targets and deadlines. This method is the most likely to get you honest feedback and a fair representation of your workplace. It can help you get a wider view of the