The HSE has stated 6 main areas that if not managed properly, can lead to stress for people at work. However, it’s important to remember that stress can be felt at all levels, supervisors, managers and even CEOs can experience stress.
Potential Causes of Stress in the workplace
Demands
Staff are unable to cope with the demands of their job, and what is expected of them which can include deadlines and workload
Relationships
Staff are unable to get along with colleagues, are being bullied, or have differing opinions which affect communication, ability to do work, or how they feel at work
Role
Staff feel they don’t fully understand their role, what their responsibilities are, or that they haven’t received adequate training for their role
Support
Staff feel they don’t receive enough support, information, or help with their role and what they’re required to do
Control
Staff feel they are unable to control what happens within their role and what responsibilities they have
Change
Staff feel unsure when things are changing and new processes and procedures are being introduced
Why stress can differ from person to person
Just like people have different personalities, and so too do their abilities to deal with stress at work. It’s important to consider that other factors will affect how stress is felt, these can include:
- Physical and mental health
- Age
- Personality and character
- Skills
- Life experience
- Financial situation
- Relationship status
- Family illnesses/ wellness
How to spot signs of stress at work
Learning to recognise the signs of stress in yourself but also in others at work is vital for reducing stress at work and ultimately absence because of stress. Signs of stress can include:
- Performance decrease
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Loss of motivation
- Reduced sleep
- Effects on health
- Being withdrawn
- Sick absence
- Heightened emotions
- Change in mood
If you believe an employee or member of your team to be suffering from stress, a Management Referral may be suited. Designed to find out more about an individual’s health, and whether they can remain at work.
Contact us
Get in touch with Acorn via email at website@acornoh.co.uk or call us on 01260 277797