Work-related Stress

HSE defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’.

The law requires employers to tackle hazards including work-related stress. Employers have a legal duty to:

• assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities;
• take measures to control that risk.

Organisations need to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for work-related stress, and take action to tackle any problems identified by that risk assessment.

HSE will consider investigating concerns about work-related stress where:

• There is evidence that a number of staff are currently experiencing work-related stress or stress-related ill health, (i.e. that it is not an individual case), but
• HSE is not the appropriate body to investigate concerns solely related to individual cases of bullying or harassment, but may consider this if there is evidence of a wider organisational failing, and 
• HSE would expect concerns about work-related stress to have been raised already with the employer, and for the employer to have been given sufficient time to respond accordingly.

HSE does not seek to apply the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 where there is other more specific legislation or a more appropriate regulator. Cases of bullying and harassment would more commonly be dealt with as issues of discipline eg breaches of policies on expected behaviours, discrimination, victimisation or equality.

Look for:

• Signs of stress in teams
• Signs of stress in an employee

Employers have a legal duty to protect employees from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it.

The Management Standards cover six key areas of work design. The Standards cover the primary sources of stress at work.

1. Demands. Includes issues such as workload, work patterns and the work environment.
2. Control. How much say do the people have over the way they work?
3. Support. Includes encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues
4. Relationships. Includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
5. Role. Do people understand their role within the organisation and does the organisation ensure roles are not conflicting?
6. Change. How is organisational change (large and small) managed and communicated?

The Management Standards approach relies on senior management commitment and worker involvement throughout the process. Staff are more likely to take part if they see senior managers are committed to managing the causes of work-related stress.