Effectively designed, organised and managed work is great for us however when insufficient care about job design, work organisation and management has taken place, it can result in work related stress. Work related stress builds up because a person is not able to manage the demands being put on them. Stress, including work related stress, can be a significant cause of illness and it is known to be linked with high levels of absence, employee turnover and other issues including more mistakes.
The symptoms of stress can hit anybody at any level of the business and recent research shows that work related stress is widespread and is not restricted to particular sectors, jobs or industries.. That is why a population-wide approach is important to tackle it.
What exactly is it to be stressed at work?
As you can see from the video produced by the HSE on the right stress can strike anyone at any level of the business. The Health and Safety Executive’s definition of work related stress is:
“The damaging reaction people have to excessive demands or other types of demand placed on them at work.”
Stress isn’t a disease – it’s a condition. However, if stress becomes too excessive and prolonged, physical and mental sicknesses can develop. Despite this, there’s a difference between pressure and stress. Stress occurs when pressure becomes too much. Stress is a natural reaction to an excessive amount of pressure. However, pressure could be positive and a stimulating factor, and is usually crucial in a job. It can help us achieve goals and sometimes perform better.
When can stress arise?
Someone experiences stress if they see that the demands of their job are more than their ability to cope. Coping means balancing the strain and pressures placed on you together with your skills and capabilities. For example, if you give a member of your team an unreasonable deadline on a task they think they’ve neither the skills nor capability to do well, they could begin to feel undue pressure which could result in work related stress.
Stress may also result from a worker feeling bored, feel overlooked and experience lack acknowledgement. If they feel they have little or no say over the work they carry out or the way they do it, this could cause them stress.
If you or someone you know have been unfairly pressured at work, then talk to someone on our claims team and they will tell you if you have a claim for compensation. Complete our online claim form or ask for a call back using our free accident at work call back service.