Tackling stress, anxiety and depression can be a difficult task especially as a business owner whilst overseeing the daily running of a company. Still, the issue remains vitally important all year round, at all levels of employment.
Failure to address work-related stress in your organisation can result in a breach of your responsibilities to ensure employee well-being, leading to a costly legal claim.
Contact Croner today for expert HR and Health and Safety advice to ensure compliance with the latest legislation. Call on 0844 561 8133 and quote the ALFED membership number, 82547.
Employer’s responsibilities regarding stress
Employers have a duty of care towards the well-being of their staff. But many people struggle to discuss work-related stress and anxiety. Whether they fear losing their job or being considered poor performers, we’ve seen employees reluctant to approach their managers with such issues.
As an employer you should seek to address the following:
- Risk assess your workplace and identify all potential causes of stress.
- How you can better help your employees in dealing with workplace challenges.
- How you can better support their recovery with workplace stress and mental health.
Develop a stress management policy
Make sure you have clear, robust policies which outline your company’s commitment to assisting with these issues. The aim of the policies should be to set out the actions that your company will take and who will maintain responsibility for this.
Understand the causes
Workplace stress can have several causes, including (but not limited to):
- Unrealistic expectations and targets.
- An excessive workload or not taking breaks.
- Poor relationships with colleagues and/or managers.
- Poor communication from leadership.
- The working environment and or culture.
- Job uncertainty.
- Personal issues, major life change, relationship, bereavement etc.
Identify the signs of stress in your workforce
Although symptoms will differ from person to person you need to be vigilant for the common signs. These include:
- Becoming withdrawn or isolated.
- Work standards decreasing.
- Frequent sickness absences.
- Poor timekeeping.
- Becoming short-tempered or irritable.
- Suffering from persistent headaches, nausea, tiredness or palpitations.
Meet with the employee
Take care not to assume what is affecting the employee until you have had a chance to speak to them. All conversations you have should be approached in a calm, supportive and positive manner and the meeting should take place in quiet and private surroundings.
Consider additional workplace support
Work with the employee to explore areas in their daily working life that are causing their condition, or making it worse. In many cases, small alterations to working arrangements, such as changing working hours or making additional allowances for time off for appointments, can help to ease pressures affecting the employee.
- Provide additional support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Know how to manage related absences.
- Know how to properly support the employee on their return to work.
- Make sure employees are aware of the support available to them.
- Promote a positive work/life balance.
- Implement an Employee Assistance Programme.
Get expert advice on managing workplace stress with Croner
Find out how you can promote a positive working environment and support your staff with Croner. Whether you want to implement new policies or take advantage of an EAP, we can help.
Call one of our expert HR and Health and Safety consultants today on 0844 561 8133 and quote 82547.
