Stress at work, is when levels of stress in the sufferer become debilitating and where the cause is work related. In fact a staggering 79% of employees report feeling workplace stress. So most employers will need to understand and take measures to support workers with stress. Stress is not always bad. There are two forms of stress.
What is healthy stress?
The ‘stress response‘ or the ‘fight or flight response ‘ developed in humans as part of the evolutionary process. It is an important component in the survival of human beings as a species. Stress is a normal part of our lives. During periods of ‘healthy stress’ we can benefit from feelings of drive and determination, energy, focus and exhilaration.
When the body is experiencing a healthy response to stress, the brain and other organs seamlessly regulate the internal response to optimise energy and to allow the body to give an alert and quick response. So in the workplace, a healthy level of stress is beneficial to the individual and the organisation. It is the energy, enthusiasm and exhilaration individuals experience by meeting a challenging but achievable target or deadline. Healthy stress might also occur with a new project which has some unknowns and is a little stretching in terms of learning. The employee feels supported to overcome the unknowns and does not feel threatened as result of delay or failure.
What is unhealthy stress?
The body’s natural ability to regulate the delicate balance of hormones for healthy and proportionate levels of stress can become imbalanced for a number of reasons, This can lead to an abnormal response to stress or ‘unhealthy’ stress.
When an abnormal response to stress is triggered, the symptoms experienced can be debilitating resulting in significant emotional, behavioural and physical symptoms.
Symptoms of stress
Common physical symptoms of unhealthy stress include sleep disturbance, changes to sleeping habits, muscle tension, muscle aches, headaches, gastrointestinal problems and fatigue. Emotional and behavioural symptoms of unhealthy stress include feelings of excessive nervousness, anxiety, changes to eating habits, loss of enthusiasm, irritability and even depression.
When the body is subject to unhealthy levels of stress, a hormone called Cortisol is released. Extremely high levels of Cortisol in the body can cause episodes of depression and psychosis, but when the levels of Cortisol return to normal levels, symptoms abate.
The involvement of the limbic system in stress means that, one of the pathological abnormal consequences of stress is a ‘learned’ auto response to a stress trigger. The ‘learned’ response may be an exaggerated response to the ‘danger risk’ that the stress trigger represents.
Legal obligations to prevent stress at work
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a legal duty to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires employers to carry out a “suitable and sufficient assessment” of the risks to the health and safety of their employees. This includes assessing the nature and scale of health risks at work and is not limited to physical risks. It also applies to stress and other mental health risks. If an employer has more than 5 employees, legally the employer must record these findings in writing.
Employers are required to implement measures to minimise the risks to health identified. Where it is not possible to completely eliminate a risk, steps must be taken to reduce it so far as is “reasonably practicable”. This means, employers must manage identified risks and hazards which workers and others are exposed to as a result of the organisation’s activities. The risks from stress at work should be included as part of this assessment process. Employers must then take reasonable steps to prevent or control the damaging impact of stress at work.
Employees who suffer from debilitating symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression may also qualify for protection under the Equality Act. Therefore there are serious potential consequences from employers who fail to fulfil their legal obligations towards employees.
In addition, employers have further legal obligations derived under the employment contract. Under the employment contract, there is an implied ‘duty of care’, for the employer to act in all dealings with a ‘duty of care’. Therefore if an employer does not uphold its obligations to an employee in terms of this duty of care, the employee can take action. Actions could include resigning and progressing a claim for breach of contract or constructive dismissal.
Causes of stress at work
Some individuals have a predisposition to experience symptoms of stress. This can be due to past experiences as part of a learned stress response to a circumstance. This means that exposure to exactly the same set of circumstances may result in one person experiencing debilitating stress symptoms while another person feels exhilarated and exuberant. Employees should identify employees who are at risk of suffering from unhealthy levels of stress and make suitable adjustments.
The arrangements at work may also be a causal stress trigger. Common causes include where the work or environment has the following characteristics:
- unrealistic demands
- lack of support
- lack of control in the pace or how the work is undertaken
- unfair treatment including bullying and harassment
- effort-reward imbalance
- low decision latitude
- feelings of lacking security and safety
Solutions to work related stress
Fortunately, there are proactive steps employers can take to reduce workplace stress:
Conducting a stress assessment is a practical first step that employers can invoke. This can then be used as a diagnostic tool to pinpoint those parts of the workforce who are affected. Survey data can also indicate causal factors. Conducting regular stress assessments can also provide useful insights. Such as whether interventions to reduce stress have been effective. Monitoring also identifies emerging groups exhibiting signs of stress in the workforce at an early stage.
Consider how training could improve stress. Poor management and skill gaps are contributory factors to creating a workplace where unhealthy stress can flourish. Training staff on how to do their jobs, reduces stress by building confidence and self esteem. Providing all staff with stress awareness training, facilitates greater understanding of the condition and the solutions available. This reduces fear and enables those who are suffering to seek support.
Providing training to managers to enable them to organise work processing in a way which minimises stress. Training managers to be able to identify and support those who are suffering from stress will also help.
HR First works with employees and employers who are experiencing stress at work to find solutions. We have a free guiding available just sign up here.