Working can be stressful!

Defined by the HSE as a harmful reaction that people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work, work – related stress has both a personal and business related impact.  Having just updated their online publication on “Work related Stress, Anxiety and Depression Statistics in Great Britain 2016” clearly businesses are not doing enough to support staff with stress accounting for 45% of all working days lost due to ill health.  One of the biggest causes of stress in the workplace is workload, which unfortunately is perhaps hardly surprising given the recent period of austerity and cost cutting resulting in those not made redundant incurring ever increasing workloads.   This document makes for interesting and sobering reading and a must read for those leading UK Businesses today.  Can the UK plc continue to lose 11.7million work days a year when the main work factors cited by respondents as causing work related stress, depression or anxiety were workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support? All things which in theory are within the control of business leaders.