Happy 20th Birthday in April, Stress Awareness Month!
Since starting in 1992, it’s become a more and more welcome feature in the annual calendar as life gets faster paced, more complicated, and heightened connectivity can leave us feeling lonelier and more isolated than ever.
Outsourced call centre provider CallCare’s research is a case in point. It revealed a staggering “45% of working days were lost due to stress-related illness and absenteeism”.
Gemma Harding, CallCare’s Head of Corporate Services explained to employee experience specialists Perkbox, “Looking after members of staff isn’t just the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense. Stress-related illnesses can cause long term absences, lower levels of employee engagement and increased chances that staff will leave; all of which are detrimental to a business looking to grow.”
So, what are UK businesses doing in Stress Awareness Month AND year-round to increase stress awareness and manage stress amongst employees?
HR giant Robert Half says they’re doing things like –
- 48% of businesses – Offering tools designed to promote wellbeing in the workplace
- One in seven businesses – Making stress management training and annual wellbeing leave available
- 17% of businesses – Providing access to counselling
- 17% of businesses – Finishing early on Fridays
- 11% of businesses – Capping overtime
At Stress Matters, it’s always music to our ears to hear about businesses doing great things towards stress awareness. But, stress matters to us 12 months of every year, not just during Stress Awareness Month in April.
Interested in starting your workplace stress awareness journey this April? Already got a framework in place but looking to step up your current activity? We’re here and we’d love to help you.
Sources
Stress Awareness Month, Days of the Year
Stress Awareness Month: What are employers doing? Hannah Sims, Perkbox
