Health and safety at work is not limited to physical harm. Employers’ duties extend to mental health, including assessing and managing work-related stress. The HSE’s Management Standards set out six areas that contribute to it if poorly managed: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. Psychosocial risks are often harder to handle than physical ones: less visible, slower to develop, and frequently dealt with informally rather than through established processes. But if concerns are raised, or something goes seriously wrong, an organisation may have to show what it knew, what it did, and whether its measures were actually working.
The question is this: if you were asked to demonstrate how you manage work-related stress, could you? And whatever the day brings up personally, support is always there – Samaritans can be reached free, any time, on 116 123.
Shared for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. Please contact us for specific advice on your circumstances.