Helping business cut the cost of work-related stress.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new approach to help employers work with their employees to manage the risks from work-related stress.

Jane Kennedy, Minister for Work, said: "This is a very practical example of what can be done to demonstrate how easy it can be to reduce the causes of work related stress. The Management Standards for Work-related Stress provide clear advice for employers to follow."

At over 13 million days a year, work-related stress is the biggest occupational cause of working days lost through injury or ill-health. With an average of 29 days lost per case, it costs society about 3.7 [pounds sterling] billion a year. In 2001/2, over half a million individuals in Britain experienced work-related stress at levels that made them ill.

With input from a range of businesses, professional bodies, unions, and other Government agencies such as ACAS, the HSE has developed an approach based on a continuous improvement model featuring a benchmarking tool to help managers gauge stress levels, compare themselves with other organisations, and work with employees to identify solutions. The Management Standards are not new regulations. Along with the toolkit, the standards help large organisations meet their existing duty of care and their duty to assess the risk of work-related stress. The standards define the characteristics of an organisation where stress is managed effectively.

Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission, said: "Pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated. But excessive pressure can lead to stress, which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill. The Standards highlight the components of good organisation, job design and management that keep stress levels in check and enhance productivity."

Steve Sumner, Employers' Organisation for Local Government, said: "Whatever you call it, the bottom line is, would you rather have people at home off sick, or de something about it?"

The Standards, informed by the expert research linking job design to ill health, consist of six main factors that contribute to work-related stress: demands, control, rapport, relationships, role, change. The Standards and advice on how to use them are available below.

Contact HSE on tel: [phone] or visit www.hse.gov.uk