Stress and Mental Health at Work

Employers who do not manage stress and mental health issues risk low morale, high absence levels and high employee turnover. It is in an organisation’s interests to manage stress at work proactively, especially in an uncertain economic environment where employees feel under increased pressure.

The benefits to employers of tackling mental health issues and stress include improved staff commitment and performance, increased productivity, and more effective recruitment and retention. A further benefit is avoiding expensive and time-consuming litigation.

Line managers should help employers identify, prevent, and manage mental health issues and stress. They should notice changes in staff behaviour that may indicate stress-related problems and recognise that they may also be themselves the cause of employees' stress.

"All employers have a legal duty to take the initiative if an employee raises a mental health issue"

All employers have a legal duty to take the initiative if an employee raises a mental health issue, rather than passively reacting and the issue of how proactive employers should be has been the subject of much case law - Hartman v South Essex Mental Health and Community Care NHS Trust comes to mind under ‘Employers’ foreseeability of harm’.

As soon as an employer knows an employee is in danger of suffering psychiatric injury from occupational stress, it is under a duty of care to take action to alleviate the stress. They could be liable to pay damages for any failure to do so.

How do you manage mental health at work issues?