Stress can place immense demands on employees' physical and mental health and affect their behaviour and performance. It's a major cause of long-term absence from work, and knowing how to manage the factors that can cause work-related stress is key to managing people effectively. Employers should take a systematic approach to identifying the risks of stress, for example by conducting stress risk assessments.

This factsheet defines stress and draws the distinction between stress and pressure. It offers information on signs of stress and concludes with guidance on how to deal with stress at work, providing information on prevention and early intervention.

Explore our viewpoint on employee health and wellbeing in more detail.

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