Gear up to battle stress

Apr 15 2009 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

EMPLOYERS need to do more to help stressed-out workers during the economic downturn, a Darlington insurance broker has warned.

As fears over job cuts and the cost of living rise, stress and anxiety levels among workforces are also likely to escalate.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, nearly 14 million working days were lost due to stress, anxiety and depression in 2006/07 - hitting businesses to the tune of £3bn.

The problems are said to be particularly prevalent among large companies and within the public sector, but many organisations still have no strategy in place to combat stress.

Darlington-based BiB Insurance, which advises businesses on a range of issues, is encouraging firms to place greater emphasis on dealing with the complex problem.

Last year’s major Employee Benefits/ HSA Healthcare survey found that just 37% of employers had policies in place to aid stressed workers.

BiB director Brian Jackson warned: “The figure is alarmingly low, particularly as stress could really take hold among a workforce during times of recession.

“This can be extremely costly when you consider the number of working days lost, a drop in morale and productivity and, potentially the most expensive problem of all, employers facing legal action for breaching their duty of care.”

Employers are obliged to assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from their work, while the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 also lays out requirements.

Mr Jackson added: “While the Employee Benefits survey revealed that almost half of all companies said stress was a big cause of sickness, this rose to nearly two-thirds among firms with more than 10,000 employees.

“Now more than ever, businesses really need to have a detailed strategy in place that will help them deal with stressed employees.

“In the worst case scenario, the cost of facing legal action could be extremely damaging.”