CIPD warns UK employers over the increasing
threat of stressful working environments.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has urged UK employers to improve their management of stress in the workplace.
According to the organisation, stress is set to become a bigger problem for British businesses this year as the recession continues to cause anxiety and working environments become increasingly pressurised.
Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser for the CIPD, said that employers should make sure that their senior managers are trained to respond to stress issues effectively.
"Stress at work is likely to become a growing challenge for employers as the recession takes hold," he said.
"It is in employers' interests to take action by using staff surveys to identify potential problems, training line managers to manage people properly and by ensuring there is access to occupational health services."
Mr Willmott made the comments in response to the recent announcement that the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust had been issued with an improvement notice for work-related stress by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
However, the CIPD was keen to stress that the threat of action from the HSE is not the only motivation for employers to improve their stress management facilities.
As Mr Willmott explained, companies that maintain a healthy workforce will enjoy numerous benefits from a business perspective.
"Stress is a major cause of employee absence and conflict at work and will undermine morale and productivity," he said.
A recent survey from Aon Consulting revealed that only 30 per cent of employees would be willing to approach their manager to discuss symptoms of stress at work.
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