I'm willing to bet that everyone hearing this clip knows someone who says they are stressed at work.
Probably every working person at some stage says that they have experienced stress at work.
Not only is stress upsetting for an individual, an organisation may also experience a variety of negative effects
as a result of stressed workers and so understanding the issues is important.
So what is stress? What do we mean when we say we are stressed? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
If we are stressed at work, what does that mean for us, our colleagues and our employer?
As an employment lawyer, stress means a very particular thing to me. Looking at the definition that the
health and safety executive works to: it is an adversary action experiences in response to
external pressures or demands. Although it is not an illness it can lead to mental or physical illness.
So according to that definition stress is not an illness but it is a potential cause of illness. What causes stress?
Surveys amongst workers reveal that the most common pressures reported are: excessive time pressure and
feeling that they do not have sufficient time to complete work. Pressure from management or colleagues
in terms of quality or quantity of their work. The feeling of being controlled or losing autonomy, there is
no ability to make decisions or change decisions made by others. Frustration due to people not listening.
Lack of communication from management. Also, not knowing one's role and part in the processes at work
and of course physical stresses such as noise, danger, heat and cold. I regularly hear from employees that
they have been subjected to unrealistic targets, aggressive and unsympathetic management
or aggressive competition from colleagues - this can amount to bullying and harassment
and leads to common physical symptoms. Stress can also coincide with personal stresses such as
bereavement, illness or accidents, family issues or financial worries. These private matters can
impact more on you when doubled up with work related stress issues. So what are the physical and mental
reactions to stress? Commonly people sign themselves off as sick with work related stress.
Their symptoms involve panic attacks, desperate feeling of needing to avoid the workplace, sometimes feeling
a deep sense of anxiety, dry mouth, hot and cold sensations - this can lead to sleeplessness,
a loss of appetite, bad tempered and a deterioration in one's personal relationships and is often linked with depression.
What should employers do and what is their responsibility? Employers have to provide a safe
system of work by law. They have a duty of care to ensure that you do not get damaged, you do however
need to make them aware of your situation. Once they know about it, they need to act. If you are stressed how
should you let them know? If you are feeling stressed at work you should inform your line manager or
someone senior who has responsibility for human resources or workforce matters.
If nothing changes within 7 days you should put your concerns in writing and ask for action and mention
the fact that you feel it is presenting a danger to your health. If you can say what it is you need, even better.
Failing that, set out what you think the problems are ask to meet with your managers to work out a way
of improving your working conditions. You can always seek legal advice, we have a wealth of experience
which we can use to guide you. Once an employer knows that something is damaging its employees
it needs to asses the factors identified and take effective action to remove stresses where possible
or prevent a repetition of the impacts on the employee. There are stress assessments and of course
experienced lawyers can assist to prevent matters escalating. Stress is a genuine workplace phenomenon
and it does not have to be the end of a working relationship, employers that value employees
can take a number of easy steps to ensure that employees health and wellbeing is safeguarded.