British staff take 6.5 million days off work a year which
costs the country’s employers £370m, according to the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE).
HSE research shows that 150,000 workers have taken at least
a month of sick because of stress-related illness. Employees between 35 and 44
suffer the highest levels of stress, while the problem increases the longer
employees stay in the same job.
Currently 500,000 workers are believed to be suffering from
work-related stress or depression, claims the HSE.
“Work-related stress is a huge occupational health problem,
inflicting a heavy toll both in terms of financial cost and human suffering,”
said HSE spokesperson Elizabeth Gyngell.
“We recognise that there is considerable pressure in the
modern competitive workplace, but there is a difference between the buzz that
people get from doing a busy job and staff being unable to cope with the
strains placed upon them. A burnt-out workforce is an unproductive workforce.”
Today the HSE published guidelines on preventing
work-related stress called Tackling work-related stress: a managers’ guide
to improving and maintaining employee health and well-being.
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