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One in five people in the UK suffers from work related stress, with half a million people reporting they have become ill as a result. Typical causes include poor communication between colleagues, skills not matching those that are needed for the job, and the demands of work exceeding the employee’s ability to cope. Stress is a state rather than an illness but when it becomes too excessive or goes on for too long, it can cause mental and physical illness, sometimes culminating in a disability.
Work related stress falls under health and safety legislation, so you have a duty as an employer to ensure that you deal with any situations raised by an employee who believes they are suffering from work-related stress. The way you tackle it depends on the kind of stress your employee is suffering from. For instance,if they are not sure of their role at work, you should make time to clarify what is expected of them, or if they feel they don't have enough control over their work, you should consider giving them more decision-making rights.
Stress may also be caused by bullying in the workplace. If the bullying is classed as sexual, religious or racial harassment, or is linked to your employee’s age or disability, they have rights under sex, race, age or disability legislation. Also, if they have a disability which makes it harder for them to deal with, or more prone to suffering stress (eg depression), you have a duty to make certain adjustments to help them.
Your employee may raise a grievance relating to what they believe is causing their stress, and if the issue can’t be resolved through the grievance procedure, your employee may reach the point where their view is that their position has become untenable, thereby giving them a potential claim for constructive dismissal if they consequently leave their job.
If you would like more detailed information about stress in the workplace, Ashby Cohen can help you. We specialise in employment law cases, and our years of experience as employment lawyers make us uniquely qualified to assist you with any stress in the workplace issues you may have. Please contact us for an initial free consultation.
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