Dealing with stress in the workplace

In 2015/16 over 480,000 people in the UK reported that work-related stress was making them ill—nearly 40% of all work-related illness. Stress isn’t a weakness and can affect anybody at any level in an organisation, but there is still a stigma attached to talking about it. So, it’s important for employers to take steps to tackle work-related causes of stress and encourage staff to seek help when they need it.

This guide from Acas gives an introduction to the whole issue of stress at work, why it’s important, and lists steps you can take to begin to address it. It includes:

• What is stress?
• What causes stress?
• Why should employers try to reduce the causes of stress at work?
• Taking steps to reduce work-related stress
• Spotting when staff may be experiencing stress
• Talking to a team member who may be experiencing stress
• Supporting a team member experiencing stress
• Monitoring the situation