Work-Related Stress | Facts & Figures

11 Apr 2018

Because prevention is better than cure.

Work-related stress (WRS) it is generally understood as, ‘…the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope.’  –  World Health Organisation (WHO) 2018. 1

It may surprise you to hear that in 2016/17 526,000 workers were suffering from WRS illnesses, with 12.5 million working days lost in 2016/17, which accounted for 49% of all sickness absence days taken in that period, The Health and Safety Executive (2017). 2

The Centre for Mental Health (2007) estimates the cost of this issue at 26 billion pounds per year, whilst suggesting that cutting the cost of this figure is achievable if the correct steps are taken.3

It is understood that WRS is tackled most effectively if efforts are made from Management, Human Resources and staff collaboratively to address the issue, Mellor et al (2011).4

The impact of WRS affects both the organisation and the employees in a negative way. If employees are subjected to WRS, the organisation will often suffer from higher staff turnover, higher sickness absence rates, and lower productivity of employees, all of which have an associated cost, Parker and Decotiis (1983).5

The effects on individuals are equally as damaging and can manifest themselves in both physical and psychosocial health concerns, often resulting from issues surrounding employee workload, job demands and lack of clarity of role, lack of decision making, poor internal change management, poor communication in the organisation, as well as harassment and potential violence within the organisation, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) 2018.6