Stress at Work

Normal pressure at work can be a positive thing if managed correctly, but stress can be detrimental to health and is defined as "the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them". 

Stress can be bought about by excessive work demands, overwork, lack of control over work, bulling and harassment, lack of support from colleagues or managers, lack of training, unclear job roles or conflict and change.

Often the feeling of not coping is seen as a weakness and people solider on, and stress can sometimes be seen as a status symbol that comes as part of the territory for particular jobs - both viewpoints are unhealthy.

You may also be affected by things in your home life that may prove stressful and reduce your ability to cope with stressors at work.

• Fatigue

• Depression and anxiety

• Low self-esteem

• Adverse effects on performance

• Problems sleeping

• Migraine

• Raised blood pressure

• Increased alcohol or drug use

• Burnout

• High levels of absenteeism

• Increased employee turnover

• Low morale

• Increased accidents and mistakes

• High levels of conflict

• Poor productivity

• Communicate with colleagues and management

• If you notice a colleague struggling, engage them in a conversation and encourage them to talk to their manager

• Make use of the training and support available to you and the opportunity for regular reviews and feedback

• Do not tolerate bullying and harassment, either against you or others

We will:

• Actively encourage a positive workplace culture

• Train our managers to identify the effects of stress at work

• Provide support to anyone suffering extreme stress and support them back to work if they're absent

• Consider adjustments such as altering workloads, flexible hours, etc.

• Refer you to occupational health where we feel this would be beneficial

• Talk to you about what medical help you are getting (if any), if you can identify the root causes, if any changes have occurred that have resulted in increased stress, and if the stressor is to do with your match to your job role

• Carry out a stress risk assessment and review it on a regular basis to ensure control measures are effective

• Keep and monitor attendance records to look for trends that may indicate stress as a contributory cause

• Monitor working hours, overtime, break times and holidays to ensure you are not overworking

• Ensure you're correctly trained for you role, that your job role is clear and you have regular opportunities to review your performance

• Not tolerate bullying and harassment (we have a separate policy covering this)