Work related stress – “together we can tackle it” Managing the causes of work-related stress A step-by-step approach using the Management Standards Work-related stress is a major cause of occupational ill health, poor productivity and human error. It can result in sickness absence, high staff turnover and poor performance and a possible increase in accidents due to human error. What’s the problem? The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates the costs to society of work related stress runs into billions each year, while 12.5 million working days were lost to stress in 2016/17. By taking action to reduce the problem, you can help create a more productive, healthy workforce and save money. Many organisations have reported improvements in productivity, retention of staff and a reduction in sickness absence after tackling work-related stress. Introduction Going to work is generally good for us, but only if our health, safety and welfare are protected. Preventing ill health because of work- related stress is part of creating a good working environment for your employees. https://watmos.simplyhas.com/e-learning/pdfs/indg430.pdf What is stress and why do we need to tackle it? People get confused about the difference between pressure and stress. We all experience pressure regularly – it can motivate us to perform at our best. It is when we experience too much pressure and feel unable to cope that stress can result.