World Mental Health Day
10th October was World Mental Health Day. This is a good opportunity for employers to consider how the working environment affects mental health.
Across Europe, job-related stress is increasing. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work found that 80% of the working population of Europe think the number of people suffering from job-related stress will increase. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD), stress has become the biggest cause of long-term absence for non-manual workers in the UK. Work place stress will cause disengaged employees, with reduced productivity resulting in a loss of profitability for organisations.
It is reported that the main causes of work related stress are:
- Workload
- Non-work relationships/family
- Management style/relationships at work
- Organisational change
- Pressure to meet targets
To prevent stress becoming an issue in your work place look out for signs (e.g. increased absences, less sociable than usual), communicate regularly with the employee to discuss whether they require additional assistance.
Putting policies in place that clearly set out The Company’s commitment to assist employees suffering from stress will also help. Such policies might include anti-harassment/bullying policies, family friendly policies and grievance policies. For further information on how you might implement any of these policies read more at www.brightcontracts.ie.
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