Stress Audits

We can assist organisations large and small with Stress Audits, based on research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and built on the Management Standards.

Stress audits are confidential and cost effective ways of assessing the risk of stress in the workplace and providing action plans to address any issues arising.

Carrying out a stress audit is important for 3 reasons:

1. The legal reason. 
   All employers have legal responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to ensure the health safety and welfare at work of their employees. This includes minimising the risk of stress-related illness or injury to employees (source: HSE)

2. The business reason.  
   Research from the CIPD absence management survey 2011 now shows stress to top the table as the cause of long term absence in manual and non-manual workers.  Absence costs organisations approximately 8 days per employee per year, and is averaged at £673 per employee per year (this is calculated by occupational sick pay, statutory sick pay, temporary cover, additional overtime costs, and lost production or service provision).  Dealing with stress at work can help improve morale, absence rates, turnover and importantly, business reputation.
3. The moral/ethical reason.  
   Many employers also care about the well-being of their staff.  A stress audit is an excellent way of conducting a "health check" of the organsiation to identify any risks to well-being and to promote employee engagement within organisational culture.