Stress and mental health at work - a guide for trade union reps (October 2016)

Chapter 1

Stress in different industrial and service sectors

[ch 1: page 9]

Stress can affect anyone in any job. However, as set out on page 7, HSE surveys have found higher than average rates of stress among teachers, nurses and other health care professionals.

The TUC’s 2016 safety reps’ survey provided important information on the sectors most affected by stress. It was considered a top five concern by 93% of safety reps in central government; 89% in education; 82% in the health service; 70% in banking, finance and insurance; 72% in local government and the same proportion in energy and water; 66% in “other services”; 63% in transport and communications; 57% in the voluntary sector; and 51% in manufacturing.

In central government, education and health services, bullying and harassment, as well as overwork, were also major concerns for safety reps.

A number of unions have carried out surveys to highlight the intolerable levels of stress their members are enduring. These include the following:

https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/focusonhealthsafetyreport.pdf


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