HSE stress initiative

The HSE marked Stress Awareness Month in April with a reminder to employers that they are required by law to prevent work-related stress, and advice to follow five simple steps. The regulator's Working Minds campaign encourages employers to: Reach out and have conversations; Recognise the signs and causes of stress, Respond to any risks identified, Reflect on actions agreed and taken, and make it Routine.

The CIPD HR professional body is one of the latest organisations to join the campaign.

"Many organisations are reactive and tend to put more emphasis on providing support when people become ill rather than on prevention," said CIPD senior policy advisor Rachel Suff. "We need both! We want to see every organisation taking a proactive approach to employee wellbeing."