C&C Healthcare, part of the C&C Group of Companies, are reminding employers of the duty of care issues they face with employees as work-related stress is highlighted as a major cause.
A recent survey published as a result of research conducted by Mind found that workplace stress is negatively affecting people’s health, sleep and relationships. The poll of 1,250 people showed that 27% said stress is impacting on their physical health, 53% said it was affecting their sleep and 22% their appetite.
Coinciding wth National Stress Awareness Day (5 November), the report showed that 56% of employees said they found work very or fairly stressful, more so than debt or financial problems, or relationships.
Carmen Lowe, Director of C&C Healthcare commented:
“Employers have a duty of care to identify as early as possible if an employee is facing a potential problem, particularly when managing stress in the workplace. Early intervention, offering the employee access to support before a problem escalates will not only minimise the impact of ill health for the employee, but in the long term will greatly assist profitability as a robust health and management programme will ensure sickness absence is kept to a minimum.”
Some common sources of stress at work are excessive workload (52%), frustration with poor management (54%), not enough support from managers (47%), threat of redundancy (27%) and unrealistic targets (45%).
In times of stress, many people are resorting to unhealthy coping strategies. Nearly one in five had smoked cigarettes, over half had drunk alcohol after work and 12% had drunk alcohol during the working day.
The research suggests mental health at work is still a taboo. Nearly a third of respondents said they wouldn’t be able to talk openly with their line manager if they were stressed. Of the 14% who had a diagnosed mental health problem, fewer than half had told their current employer.
For further information please contact C&C Healthcare on 0161 406 4700 or
email info@cc-healthcare.co.uk