Stress Management - Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Stress Management

According to recent HSE research, up to 5 million people in the UK feel "very" or "extremely" stressed by their work.

Stress is now seen as the biggest growing cause of workplace absence. Understandably, stress at work has become a priority area for regulation. The HSE has raised the bar for organisations by urging them to implement company-wide policies and practices to combat workplace stress and anxiety

The HSE has introduced a set of Management Standards against which employers can assess their organisation. They highlight what employers should do to minimise stress at work and maximise health, wellbeing and productivity. Although these standards are non-legislative, employers need to have systems in place to monitor stress risks and act when employees experience stress. This is where an EAP can be so powerful.

We can also put safeguards in place, as stress management can be a contentious issue for any organisation. Our LifeWorks team can help you develop these safeguards whilst also supplying assistance and support to employees such as:

Counselling services
Access to informative employee support material on managing stress and building resilience
Tailored interventions such as seminars, coaching or training
Stress audits

Whatever its cause, stress and anxiety increase absenteeism and have a negative effect on job performance, retention, morale and commitment. As an organisation there are steps you can take to help support your staff to minimise the effects of stress on your business, whether its origin is work related or personal. There is also a legal requirement for all employers to be aware of the signs of stress in the workplace and to tackle them if evident. Signs of stress to look out for include: