Work related stress

Employers 'do not care about stress'
Almost half (48%) of employees believe their employer does not care how stressed they are at work, according to a survey from healthcare provider HealthSure.

Work-related stress is continuing to rise and remains one of the biggest issues facing employers in the modern working environment. According to the Health & Safety Executive, work-related stress now accounts for more than a third of all new incidences of ill-health, with each case leading to an average loss of 30.9 working days.

Stress can undermine performance, affect physical and mental wellbeing and result in a range of health problems.

As a result, HealthSure is launching a campaign, called "Stress: Work it Out", which aims to give benefits managers, HR professionals and line managers the information they need about managing stress in the workplace. The campaign's website will be available for employers from September 24.

James Glover, member services director at HealthSure, said: "It is important that employers understand the detrimental effect that stress-related sickness absence can have on a business and why they should look after the health and well-being of one of their most valuable assets."

The Health Insurance Magazine 05 August 2007