Detecting signs of stress

The CIPD has called on employers to put in place an effective framework to detect signs of distress and/or stress and support people’s mental health.

Organisations should focus their efforts on identifying the main risks of stress to people and implementing measures to reduce or eradicate them. To help prevent workplace stress they should:

• carry out a stress risk assessment and allocate resources to reduce or eliminate the sources of stress;

• give people adequate training and support to do their jobs well;

• increase support for staff during periods of change and uncertainty; and

• train line managers to identify potential causes of stress in their teams and manage people, and workloads, effectively.

The CIPD reports that while line managers have a crucial role to play in preventing and dealing with workplace stress, its 2021 Health and Wellbeing at Work Survey found just 61% of organisations train managers to manage stress.