Stress
Stress causes more long-term absence in the workplace than repetitive strain injury and medical conditions such as cancer. Employees say this is down to increased workloads and management styles, according to the survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and healthcare provider Simplyhealth.
Although stress itself is not an illness, if it increases or goes on for too long it can result in physical illness.
A certain amount of pressure can be motivating. It helps us acheieve in life and improves our performance. Stress is a natural reaction when this pressure becomes excessive.
Peter’s story:
I felt more and more pressure as my company made people redundant and increased my work load. I’m usually a conscientious employee but ended up having to take time off work.
The stress affected my relationship with my wife. I slept badly, started drinking and felt generally worn down the whole time. I had no idea this was stress. My GP was good. He explained things to me and recommended counselling which I feel really helped. I couldn’t change what happened in my job but I could change how I dealt with it.