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Efforts to tackle employee stress levels 'not working'

The number of employees suffering from stress in the workplace is increasing, it has been reported.

According to Personnel Today, the amount of people reporting their jobs as being extremely or very stressful has increased over the past 12 months.

This is despite the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) management standards for tacking work-related stress being introduced four years ago.

Likewise, a roll-out of management standards failed to improve the situation and it has been suggested that social and economic factors may be having an adverse effect on employee health.

A study by the HSE's Health at Work Group said there was "little change in the number of employees aware of stress initiatives in their workplace or reporting discussions about stress with their line managers".

Stress has been found to be the main reason for public sector workers taking time off, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.