Securing management commitment

The HSE leaflet, Securing management commitment, gives three good reasons why employers should commit to tackling stress:

• the legal case: the law requires employers to tackle stress (see Chapter 3);

• the business case: tackling stress brings business benefits; and

• the moral/ethical case: tackling stress prevents ill health.

The business case, says the HSE, arises because work-related stress can have adverse effects for organisations in terms of:

• employee commitment to work;

• staff performance and productivity;

• staff turnover;

• attendance levels;

• staff recruitment and retention;

• customer satisfaction;

• organisational image and reputation; and

• potential litigation.

On the ethical or moral case, there is convincing evidence that prolonged periods of stress, including work-related stress, have an adverse effect on health. The HSE says that research shows strong links between stress and physical effectssuch as heart disease, back pain, headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances and various minor illnesses; and psychological effectssuch as anxiety and depression. In addition, stress can lead to other harmful behaviour such as skipping meals, drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, or smoking (see Chapter 1 on the human costs of stress).