- Nearly 3 in every 10 employees will have a mental health problem in any year
- Work-related stress is the reason behind over half a million instances of absences
- Work-related stress costs UK employers an estimated £3.7 billion
- Each incidence of work-related stress involves an absence period of approx 29 days
- Work-related stress accounts for an average of 13 millions lost days
- More days are taken off work for stress than backaches
Business Mentality
Some statistics
What are the early signs of stress?
Early symptoms of stress typically fall into five classes:
1. Physical: Above average absences which might be attributed to: headaches, fatigue, insomnia, backache, stomach problems, colds and reduced immunity generally, neck-ache, shoulder pain.
2. Behavioural: Managers might notice staff increasing their use of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs; evading deadlines; taking more time off sick,; making excuses; complaining unreasonably; lying to cover up; avoiding essential action or being untypically brave or risk taking..
3. Mental: forgetfulness, poor concentration, low productivity, negative attitude, confusion, no new ideas, lethargy, boredom, no longer appearing to be challenged, no longer motivated.
4.Emotional: anxiety, frustration, nervousness, depression, worrying, mood swings, easily discouraged, crying spells, irritability.
5 Social: isolation, loneliness, lashing out,involvement in more disputes, clamming up, having less contact with colleagues, displaying manipulative behaviour