Essential points

• Under an implied term in all employment contracts, organisations have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment, safe systems of work and carry out regular risk assessments for their workforce whether they are at work or working from home.
• In addition to physical risks, organisations have a legal duty to protect employees from work-related stress and to carry out stress risk assessments.
• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identifies six main causes of stress at work including an inability to cope with a job’s demands, lack of control over how the work is done, lack of appropriate information, and trouble with work relationships.
• The HSE lists high turnover, increased sickness absence and decreased performance as signs of stress in work teams, and poor punctuality and loss of motivation and confidence, as signs of stress in individuals.
• Employers should match job demands to workers’ skills and knowledge and provide planning, training and support to reduce workplace stress levels.