HSE Launches New Stress Website
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has unveiled a new stress website that will help businesses prevent work-related stress.
The website includes updated advice and guidance, tools to help prevent stress at work, a self-assessment questionnaire for line managers, case studies and good practical examples of things that have worked well for other organisations. The focus of the new website will be the Management Standards for work-related stress which have already been used successfully by many organisations.
Last year in Great Britain a total of 13.5 million days were lost to work-related stress. It is a major cause of occupational ill health. It is a major cause of occupational ill health resulting in sickness absence, high staff turnover and poor performance for organisations. HSE’s Management Standards can help to manage the issue sensibly and minimise the impact of work-related stress on businesses.
Launching the new stress website today at the health and wellbeing at work exhibition, Peter Brown, Head of the HSE Health and Work Division said: “Pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated, but excessive pressure can lead to stress which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill.
“This new website will enable employers to easily access all the information they need to help prevent stress in their workplace.
The revised stress management standards tools on the website can help any organisation successfully manage work-related stress. The standards highlight the components of good organisation, job design and management that keep stress levels in check and enhance productivity.
In the current economic crisis businesses are looking to save where ever possible and managing work-related stress effectively could represent some significant savings.”
The website will be of interest to both old and new users. With its revised tools, fully updated design and layout, current users will be able to access the information they need easily. HSE is very keen to encourage as many organisations as possible to adopt the management standards approach.
Company directors and human resource managers need to take the lead on dealing with work-related stress. Stress costs you, your employees and your organisation and following the management standards could help to reduce the impact on your business.
To find out how the management standards can work for - click the pic!
Further support can be gained through the stress solutions discussion group on the HSE website and through E-Bulletins which are a great way to keep up with the latest advice, news and guidance.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) are also offering support to businesses with the launch of a new online report outlining the effects of stress in the workplace and offering advice to combat it. To view this report visit the HSE stress website.
Source: HSE
