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As well as showing staff that your organisation plans to prevent stress, it needs to document how it will help potential sufferers
Formalising an approach to tackling stress with an occupational stress management policy is a good way to show a commitment to tackling stress in the workplace.
Vanessa Sallows, underwriting and benefits director at Legal & General, says: "A formal stress policy will show employees you are serious about protecting their health and wellbeing. As well as outlining the steps that employees can take to deal with stress it will also help to create a culture where they feel they can talk about issues relating to it."
The Health and Safety Executive has guidelines on what should be included in a stress policy and includes a sample policy on its website (www.hse.gov.uk/stress).
Two key areas need to be covered by a stress policy. The first of these will entail the organisation setting out the steps it will take to prevent stress. "This will include reference to risk assessments and stress audits but will also include details of the training and education you will provide to managers and employees," says Sallows.
Training is particularly important in preventing stress. This can...