LRD guides and handbook October 2009

Stress and mental health at work - a guide for union reps

Introduction (436 words)

Stress has become one of the principal by-products of the modern workplace. The current economic crisis has only extended these pressures and heightened the ...

1. The scale of the problem (2783 words)

Work-related stress has long been a major hazard for a wide range of workers and this has increased during the economic downturn. Research by ...

2. The legal framework (2700 words)

There are no separate regulations in the UK aimed at controlling stress at work. However, employers have legal duties under both statutory and common ...

3. Government guidance (2399 words)

In recent years government bodies have produced a dizzying array of publications on stress and mental health — often motivated by the desire simply ...

4. Union action on workplace stress (3615 words)

Unions have long campaigned for work-related stress to be taken seriously by changing the law and see better regulation, either from Europe or by ...

5. Unions and mental health at work (1667 words)

Unions are careful to distinguish work-related stress and mental health. Clearly, not all mental health problems are caused by stress. And work-stress may have ...

Further help and information (286 words)

Acas, (Head Office) Euston Tower, 286 Euston Road, London NW1 3JJ; tel: 08457 474747; web: www.acas.org.uk ...