News and features

Wed, 10 Jun 2009

Firms 'need to counter employee stress'

Companies in the UK need to ensure that they take suitable measures to reduce the effects of stress in the workplace.

Employers in the UK have been reminded that they have a legal requirement to ensure workers are not made ill because of stress. According to Alexandra Shoobert, an advisor for Business Link, there are a number of measures that can be taken to safeguard the welfare of employees. She said staff training was one method of keeping everyone up to speed with the right skills required to do their job. Ms Shoobert said: "It is also important that employees are clear about what is expected of them and that they have the training and support that they need. Make sure that any deadlines or targets are not unrealistic." The expert added that companies should try to implement an open-door policy with workers to ensure that those who are struggling or do not feel they have sufficient staff training have a forum to voice their concerns. She noted that communication is a "two-way street" and that it is important for employees to feel that they can identify any elements of their jobs that are causing them stress. In addition, Ms Shoobert said firms should take care to consider workers who still have jobs after redundancies.

These employees could face larger workloads as their colleagues leave, something which might require more staff training or learning at work to improve their abilities to cope. This comes after HR and training manager Laura Turrell said it is crucial that staff are properly trained. She said it makes them more motivated and increases their performance in the workplace.

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