Home > News > November 2006 > 02 November 2006

Ignore workplace stress at your peril, bosses warned

Investors in People is urging employers to take simple steps to help alleviate stress in the workplace or else risk damaging their organisation's productivity.

Nicola Clark, director at Investors in People, said: "Bosses can ill afford to ignore workplace stress as left unchecked the impact can be felt throughout the organisation.

"It's easy to look at stress as a personal issue and, of course its effect on individuals can be very damaging. However, stress is also bad for business, affecting morale and motivation amongst the wider workforce, and potentially leading to increased absenteeism - all factors which impact on an organisation's productivity and ultimately its bottom line.

"Unfortunately there is no one size fits all approach to tackling employee stress, however, managers can take simple steps to help alleviate the problem. Communicating regularly with employees and encouraging an open and honest dialogue makes it easier for managers to identify pressure points at an early stage. This will then enable them to offer appropriate support, for example, providing advice on how to manage workloads or arranging extra training for their employees.

"Whatever the solution, it is only by spotting the warning signs early, and addressing the problem head on, that bosses will be able to manage workplace stress and avoid the negative impact it can have both on their employees and business."

According to research conducted by Investors in People in October/November 2005, nearly a third (32%) of UK workers believe stress is a major issue in their organisation.

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