date: 14 July 2005

embargo: 00.01hrs Friday 15 July 2005

TUC guide to help take the stress out of UK workplaces

The TUC has today (Friday) published a guide to help unions make sure employeres are doing all they can to tackle the UK’s growing stress epidemic, a problem which makes half a million people ill every year and costs society £3.7 million.

The union guide is intended as a simple, easy to understand clarification of the Health and Safety Executive’s stress management guidelines which say that the best way for an employer to minimise the impact of stress is to conduct a risk assessment of the workplace.

By looking at all the factors likely to stress someone out, for example heavy workloads or bullying colleagues, a risk assessment allows an employer, with the help of a union, to identify potential problem areas and act on them before stress-related illness begins to affect employees’ health and dent the company’s profits.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Tackling stress at work is not rocket science, but although most employers might know they have a problem, few have any idea what to do about it. This is where our guide, and the union, steps in.

'Everyday pressure is part and parcel of our working lives, but if the pressure builds to breaking point, the end result could be employees forced to take time out because their jobs have made them ill. Tackling the causes of stress early on can have a dramatic impact on the well-being of staff and on an organisation’s bank balance.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Well over half the union safety reps in a recent TUC survey said stress was the biggest hazard in their workplace.

The TUC guide to the HSE Management Standards for Work-related Stress can be found at http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-10147-f0.cfm

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Skills for Life and media enquiries: Dan Ashley T: 020 7467 1372; M: 07880 504 846;
E: dashley@tuc.org.uk

Congress: TUC Congress 2005 will be at the Brighton Centre, Brighton from Monday 12 September to Thursday 15 September. Applications for media credentials must be received by 5pm Friday 2nd September. Requests received after this date will be subject to a £50 administration charge. To register and to book a BT phone line go to http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/mediacreds2005.cfm

Press release (400 words) issued 15 Jul 2005