Most of us have days at work where we feel under pressure because of deadlines. However there are many people whose work and personal lives are adversely affected by the stress in the workplace. Further to a recent blog on workplace stress audits, we take a brief look at the legal implications for employers in relation stress in the workplace.

Under health and safety law employers must assess and take measures to control risks from work-related stress. There is also a common law duty to

There are at least 3 reasons why we need to take the issue of stress at work seriously and show the importance of a stress audit:

1. The Business Reason:

The 2012 CIPD Absence Management Survey identified stress as the top cause for long term absence in manual and non-manual workers. As absence is estimated to cost employers in the region of £600 per employee per year, this shows how stress actually costs money. Stress also can affect the productivity of staff who remain, so