Work-related stress is a major cause of occupational ill health and can cause severe physical and psychological conditions in workers. It can also lead to poor productivity and human error, increased sickness absence, increased work-related accidents, high staff turnover and poor performance.

As companies of all sizes grapple with trends like “quiet quitting” and “the great retirement,” it is essential managers can spot signs of stress and implement solutions to help their colleagues.

Data from the ONS states that 2.5 million Brits are currently out of work due to long-term sickness. Furthermore, the new workforce health index (WHI) released by the CBI shows the UK loses 131 million working days a year to ill health, costing the nation around £180billion in GDP. With sickness absence on the rise, it’s never been more important for employers to start taking their duty of care to their employees’ health and wellbeing seriously.

So, what impact does stress have on workforce health?
Stress is not an illness as such but if it is prolonged or intense it may lead to ill-health such as, raised blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, stomach problems, anxiety and depression. Stress may also lead to other unhealthy behaviours including poor diet and substance misuse which can increase the risks of long-term health issues such as heart disease and stroke.

For this reason, it is important to understand what stress is, how it impacts businesses and how to manage it.

What is stress?
Stress is your body’s natural reaction to anything that requires attention or action, and can cause physical, emotional or psychological strain. Everybody will experience stress at some point in their life, but the way it is treated or dealt with will make a big difference to overall wellbeing.

Signs and symptoms of stress to be aware of:
Stress affects everyone in a different way, and sometimes it can be hard to spot. Signs of stress include:

• Increased emotional reactions or mood swings: Irritability, angry outbursts, being more tearful, or sensitive,
• Lack of motivation, commitment and confidence: arriving to work late or taking more time off,
• Loss of focus or restlessness,
• Higher levels of sickness absence,
• Decreased performance,
• Social withdrawal

Effect stress has on business performance:
Stress can have a series of negative impacts on the business, including but not limited to:

• Higher absenteeism,
• Higher labour turnover
• Lower motivation, productivity and performance
• Low morale
• Increased risk of ill-health, accidents and incidents reports.

If an employee starts acting differently then it could be a sign that they are stressed. Given the implications stress can have on a business and employee health, it is vital that managers place people and their culture over profit. By doing so they will find the overall productivity of their business and wellbeing of their staff improve.

So how can businesses practically support their staff to prevent employees suffering from stress?
In the first instance, managers should ensure there is open communication between all employees so that they feel comfortable to speak up about how they’re feeling or any challenges they’re currently facing. Making sure that staff are not overloaded is also vital. This includes monitoring workload, working hours, annual leave and sickness absence rates. If staff report feelings of stress or attribute a period of absence to work-related stress, then referring them to their health and wellbeing package will be useful.

Managers should also encourage staff to aim to find active ways to manage stress as these can also have many health benefits. For example, taking regular breaks from work, participating in regular physical activity, and setting aside time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music.

Avoiding tobacco use, excess caffeine and alcohol and being sure to get plenty of sleep and eating a healthy, balanced diet are also key.

Importance of early diagnostics and preventative health screening
Given that prolonged stress can have a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing, increasing the risks of high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke, early-stage diagnostics and preventative testing can play a vital role in protecting staff.

Discovering a health problem early can help people make better informed decisions about their health, improve the likelihood of successful treatment, and reduce the risk of long-term illness or fatality.

It’s in the best interest of businesses across the UK to put in place strategies to regularly test the health of their employees, not just because it creates a healthier workforce but because it is what employees are coming to expect. Recent research by Cignpost Diagnostics has highlighted that over 70% of Brits are willing to take diagnostic tests to support their wellbeing, and 42% expect their employers to conduct regular health screenings.

We can see already that diagnostic tests are becoming popular with many forward-thinking organisations, as identifying health problems early prevents staff from missing large periods of time due to illness. A healthier workforce is a more productive workforce.