Stress Awareness Week: 4 to 8 November 2024

Raise awareness of legal duty 

Many people still don’t realise that it’s a legal duty to include work-related stress in risk assessments. You can help change that during stress awareness week by supporting HSE’s Working Minds campaign.

The campaign helps raise awareness that all employers are required by law to prevent work-related stress and support good mental health by doing a risk assessment and acting on it.  

You could: 

• talk about it at your next one-to-one with a staff member
• bring it up at a team meeting 
• encourage others to do our free bitesize online learning
• download and share resources, such as our one-page summary of support, a campaign poster and social media graphics, with your colleagues and networks
• sign up to the monthly campaign ebulletin for updates and new resources

Recognise the signs 

Stress affects people differently.

What impacts one person may not impact another, but signs of stress in a team can include arguments, higher staff turnover, more sickness absence or decreased performance. 

Get to the root cause 

Try looking for common themes that may need addressing. If you spot a problem or something that might be bubbling, do something about it that will address the root cause.  

For example, if someone is struggling with too much workload, consider how that work is allocated or prioritised. 

• find out more about the 6 main causes of stress and ideas to tackle them in the Talking Toolkit
• HSE’s Stress Indicator Tool is an online survey available for free for up to 50 employees

Make a difference  

Help reach as many workplaces as possible by sharing information on work-related stress.

Find out more at HSE's website, which has advice and guidance on stress and mental health at work.

HSE Training: Certificate in managing stress at work

HSE and NEBOSH have jointly developed a new one-day qualification to help you and your organisation reduce work-related stress. Upcoming course dates include:

• 14 January 2025, Buxton
• 11 and 12 March 2025, live online

Find out more and book your place