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Workplace stress

By Michael Smith
NBS Information Specialist

According to a recent report, given the choice, a great many of us would lie to our boss about the effects of stress on ourselves. What exactly is it, and why would we lie about it?

What is stress?

Stress is not an imaginary illness; it is a term often used to describe a large group of complaints. Stress is not expressed in only one particular way. Stress is often caused by day-to-day irritations:

Small events like a computer that freezes up all the time or constantly difficult customers cause stress
Continuous strains such as a difficult boss, financial problems or a bad relationship
Traumatic experiences for instance a divorce, a car accident or a sudden death.

Stress can cause problems on a mental as well as a physical level. Examples of this are; neck pain, lower-back pain, diarrhoea, heart palpitations and sleeping problems. It can also cause depression, anxiety attacks, concentration problems and heightened irritability.

2011 Absence management survey

Current woes in the economy are affecting our mental health, as well as our pockets. New research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and health insurance provider Simplyhealth makes for startling and worrying reading; stress is now the number one reason for work absences.

The survey reveals a powerful link between job security and mental health problems. Employers planning to make redundancies in the near future are significantly more likely to report an increase in mental health problems among their staff (51% compared with 32% who are not planning redundancies).

The survey discovered that for manual workers, stress is now at the same level as acute medical conditions, and has overtaken musculoskeletal problems, in terms of long-term absence. For non-manual workers, stress is now ahead of acute medical conditions.

Unemployment is now at its highest level in nearly 20 years. And it’s the lack of job security which is causing the reported escalating stress levels. The report highlights that there has been a particular increased in stress-related absences within public sector organisations; 50% of public sector respondents reported an increase. These respondents especially, identify organisational change and restructuring as the number one cause of stress at work, highlighting the impact of public sector cuts to jobs, pension benefits and pay freezes.

The role of employers

An interesting result from a research survey, by the health charity MIND in 2010, is that employees do not want to lie about the stress they face; 70% would like to be able to discuss stress with their boss, and a third of these would like their company management to make the first move and approach them if they begin showing signs of stress. Employers have a legal obligation to try to identify any issues related to workplace stress. In practice this means taking steps to identify what may cause stress, and then working out ways to prevent this from harming the health of employees.

What this means for individual companies will vary substantially from one to another. However, to aid in this, the CIPD has published a useful guide on how to tackle stress problems in the workplace (see further information section).

Keeping staff stress-free

The MIND study, of 2010, identified a number of steps employers can take to make the workplace a happier and more secure place to be:

Manage workloads among your staff. Make sure that no one is expected to deliver more than they are capable of.
Train managers to identify risks, recognise stress and support their staff.
For staff working in isolation, ensure there are clear and regular lines of communication. A monthly team meeting or a regular phone catchup will help prevent problems from occurring.
Offer stress coaching and on-the-job support. Start a mentoring scheme to help new members of staff understand your organisation and to support them in their role.
Make sure that work environments are suitable for the task. Noise, temperature and light levels can all have a big impact on wellbeing. Could space dividers, quiet spaces or music improve the workplace?

However, it's not just the boss who should be dealing with stress issues. There are simple things employees can do also:

Prioritise, and focus on each issue it turn throughout the day.
Surround yourself with things that may help to reduce stress levels; pictures of family, or a reminder of your next goal or holiday.
Try to exercise regularly. Exercise leads to the release of endorphins and helps psychologically, by raising confidence and self-esteem.

Absence due to stress is sometimes unavoidable. So where do you stand if you need to take time off work?

Sick pay

Even if you do need time off due to stress, you should still receive some form of pay. Sick pay comes in two forms; company sick pay and statutory sick pay.

Many employers offer their own scheme, and a check in the terms of your contract should show just what you are entitled to. Alternatively, you may qualify for statutory sick pay, so long as you are sick for at least four days in a row, and have average weekly earnings of at least £102.

The big taboo

Just admitting that they are suffering from stress is too much for many affected workers. A the 2010 study MIND study found that one in five workers had called in sick due to stress. However, of these, 93% had lied about the real reason for the absence. Instead they blamed things like an upset stomach, housing issues, and even the illness of a loved one. The top five lies employees use when covering up issues related to stress are:

Stomach upset – 36%
A cold – 13%
A headache – 12%
A medical appointment – 6%
Bad back – 5%.

Sadly, the MIND research also revealed that the majority of employees (62%) felt that their bosses were not doing enough to look after the workplace wellbeing of their staff. Employers who ignore the problem of stress in their workplace could even be putting their businesses in financial jeopardy. Previous figures, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, suggested that businesses lose an estimated £8.4 billion per year through sick days caused by poor mental wellbeing.