The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines work-related stress as “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work”. Employers have a legal duty to manage the risks to employees’ health and safety, including the risks arising from stress.
Stress is frequently identified as one of the biggest causes of long-term sickness absence in employee absence studies and surveys. Following a good practice approach to managing stress is likely to have organisational benefits for employers, including reducing sickness absence.