According to a 2016 CIPD report, stress is one of the leading causes of employee absence in the UK.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)’s 2016 Absence Management survey reports the following:
- Short-term absence: stress is the second most common factor
- Long-term absence: stress is the number one most common factor
Employee wellbeing and Stress Awareness Month
With stress being one of the main factors of employee absence, and as April is Stress Awareness Month, we’re focusing on stress in the workplace in a series of blogs this month.
There are numerous resources available. Here we’ve shared a couple that we think you’ll find useful to try with your teams during Stress Awareness Month.
- Individual stress test. Encourage employees to take the test to identify and self-manage their stress factors and symptoms.
- 10 stress busters. Share some info with your team on how to manage stress. This NHS article provides some useful tips. Is there anything that you could do to help each other or do together as a team?
- Workplace wellbeing solutions. The Stress Management Society has a whole section dedicated to workplace wellbeing. Take a look at their resources for managers, designed to help you to improve staff wellbeing.
What employee wellbeing initiatives work well for you? Share your ideas and thoughts us.
And remember to check back here for our latest blogs during Stress Awareness Month.