Workplaces
get more stressful each year, a new survey shows.
A
survey of 2,000 union health and safety representatives shows that half believe
stress is a bigger problem now than it was five years ago. Around 50 per cent
said it had got worse in the last 12 months.
Union
Amicus said three out of four of officials surveyed had raised stress-related
issues with their employers, but only one in three firms accepted
responsibility for tackling the problem.
The
report says most employers would rather deal with the symptoms than the causes,
with few offering to reduce hours or introduce flexible working.
Roger
Lyons, joint general secretary of Amicus said: "Stress needs to be dealt
with by looking for the causes and not by simply patching up the injured
soldiers of the workplace.
"Employers
need to look closely at the hours their staff are working and how their work
and home lives are balanced."
Unison
has launched a new guide giving advice to workers and managers on how to
prevent stress, to mark the start of this week’s European Health and Safety
Week.
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