The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Working Minds campaign has called on all employers to support workers’ mental health during April, which is Stress Awareness Month.
Preventing work-related stress isn’t just the right thing to do by workers, it’s the law. All employers are required to prevent work related stress to support good mental health in the workplace.
The Working Minds campaign brings together a range of tools and support to help businesses and workers including free online learning, Talking Toolkits, risk assessment templates and examples. It introduces 5 Rs that employers are encouraged to focus on throughout the course of the month. They are: to Reach out and have conversations, Recognise the signs and causes of stress, Respond to any risks you’ve identified, Reflect on actions you’ve agreed and taken, and make it Routine.
Kayleigh Roberts from HSE Engagement and Policy Division says: “By being proactive, you can improve productivity, reduce sickness absence and help retain valued workers. Employers are required to assess the risk of work-related stress impacting their workers, and act on the risks identified.
“As well as guiding you step by step, we provide all the practical templates, tools and resources you need to get started or, you can use it as an opportunity to review what you already do. A huge part of this is making it part of your everyday working life, not just a one-off tick box that gets forgotten about.”
There are six main areas that can lead to work-related stress if they are not managed properly. These are: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. Factors like skills and experience, age, or disability may all affect someone’s ability to cope. Employers looking for support can register for free bitesize learning.