Report by British firm says workplace stress is a concern for ethical investors, calls on organizations to take steps to combat it
A British investment firm has put out a report on workplace stress, highlighting how much damage it is causing and raising it as a concern for ethical investors.
Henderson Global Investors published the report, produced by its Sustainable and Responsible Investment team, in an effort to turn the spotlight on workplace stress.
It said stress in now the single biggest cause of sickness absence in the United Kingdom, resulting in 13.4 million working days lost and $895 million Cdn in revenue each year.
“The way employers promote well-being in the workplace is a key factor of our sustainable and responsible investment company evaluation process,” said Jane Goodland, a senior analyst at Henderson. “The impact of stress in the workplace means investors need to understand the implications and encourage high standards. This is why we have produced the report and will be discussing the issues raised with leading employers in the coming months.”
The report, Stress: An Epidemic in the UK’s Workplace?, looks at the causes of stress in the workplace and contains a number of case studies of companies taking a proactive approach including AstraZeneca, Centrica, Reuters and Rolls Royce.
Why employers should care about stress
The report said there are three main reasons why companies should take action to combat work-related stress:
•employers in the United Kingdom have a legal duty to protect the health and safety of staff, which includes preventing ill health through stress;
•there are significant business benefits of taking a proactive approach; and
•there is an ethical argument that employers have a responsibility to protect and, where possible, enhance the well-being of staff.
The 28-page report is available free online by clicking here.
Henderson Global Investors published the report, produced by its Sustainable and Responsible Investment team, in an effort to turn the spotlight on workplace stress.
It said stress in now the single biggest cause of sickness absence in the United Kingdom, resulting in 13.4 million working days lost and $895 million Cdn in revenue each year.
“The way employers promote well-being in the workplace is a key factor of our sustainable and responsible investment company evaluation process,” said Jane Goodland, a senior analyst at Henderson. “The impact of stress in the workplace means investors need to understand the implications and encourage high standards. This is why we have produced the report and will be discussing the issues raised with leading employers in the coming months.”
The report, Stress: An Epidemic in the UK’s Workplace?, looks at the causes of stress in the workplace and contains a number of case studies of companies taking a proactive approach including AstraZeneca, Centrica, Reuters and Rolls Royce.
Why employers should care about stress
The report said there are three main reasons why companies should take action to combat work-related stress:
•employers in the United Kingdom have a legal duty to protect the health and safety of staff, which includes preventing ill health through stress;
•there are significant business benefits of taking a proactive approach; and
•there is an ethical argument that employers have a responsibility to protect and, where possible, enhance the well-being of staff.
The 28-page report is available free online by clicking here.
