This article discusses how to consider and define employment stress, what factors contribute to it and maintain it, and what services both preventative and rehabilitative are necessary to maintain a healthy workforce within a competitive market place.
Stress and mental health disorders are one of the biggest causes of long-term absence from the workplace (Black & Frost, 2011). It is estimated that one in six workers in England and Wales is affected by anxiety, depression, or ‘unmanageable’ stress at any one time. Recognition of mental health conditions is important for organisations to create a safe working environment which does not cause injury in terms of mental health disorder and which supports people to return to work if they have been unwell under the Disability Discrimination Act. However, there are a number of barriers to effective recognition and timely treatment of mental health disorders.
These factors include:
1. Poor understanding of how psychological injury at work occur
2. Employee fear of disclosing injury.
3. Employer fear of reduced capacity and efficiency if employee injury is acknowledged and addressed.
4. Insufficient awareness of work culture and norms for staff support, empowerment and ‘common sense’ relating by colleagues, supervisors and managers.
5. Insufficient Health & Safety conditions
6. Workplace accidents (e.g. slipping and tripping, machinery, explosion)