Stress Management
'Stress' and 'work related stress' are the latest buzzwords and are rather overused phrases these days, but not without good reason.
Today, we live in a world full of pressures. Pressures to perform, to be better than everybody else, deadlines, pressures to be on time, to be first, to get results!. These stresses come from a myriad of directions as well, our Parents, our teachers, our bosses, our partners, our selves!
All of these pressures have one result….STRESS.
Here are a few facts and figures about the effects of stress on the economy and business.
Stress and chronic ill health in the workplace costs £100bn
- Dame Carole Black, ISMA Conference 2009
An estimated 442,000 individuals in Britain, who worked in 2007/08 believed that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill
- Labour Force Survey Government Stats
Estimates indicate that self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for an estimated 13.5 million lost working days in Britain in 2007/08
- Labour Force Survey
Direct cost of sickness absence estimated as £635 per person per year.
- CIPD 2008
Indirect costs of sickness absence have been measured as twice the direct costs i.e. £1,270, making a total of £1,905 per employee per year – typically around 9% of payroll costs
- Norwich Union Healthcare
In 2008 - for every 80p spent on health promotion and intervention programmes, £4 can be saved due to reduced absenteeism, temporary staff, presenteeism and improved motivation
- The European Network for Workplace Health Promotion
The 2007 Psychosocial Working Conditions (PWC) survey indicated that around 13.6% of all working individuals thought their job was very or extremely stressful.
- HSE
The annual incidence of work-related mental health problems in Britain in 2007 was approximately 5,750 new cases per year. However, this almost certainly underestimates the true incidence of these conditions in the British workforce.
- HSE
According to self-reports, estimated 237 000 people, who worked in 2008, first became aware of work-related stress, depression or anxiety giving an annual incidence rate of 780 cases per 100 000 worker.
- Labour Force Survey
I think we can all agree that whilst the facts and figures may not give a complete picture of how much stress effects business, they are certainly too compelling to ignore.
Fit Farm's remit is too give companies the opportunity to reduce or negate as much as possible, the effects that stress has on their business and their profits.
By being pro-active in the area of stress management, not only can you reduce staff turnover and thus your recruitment and training costs, you will also find your staff happier and thus more productive, creating a win win situation.
A small investment now could make a big difference to next year's bottom line.
Press Pause for Stress is a collaboration between Press Pause and The Fit Farm Ltd.
To find our more on what Fit Farm and Press Pause can offer for Stress Management - please go to Press Pause 4 Stress.