Stress still the biggest problem in UK workplaces
 Stress is still the biggest problem facing UK workplaces, with excessive workloads, job cuts and rapid change the most common triggers for rising stress levels amongst employees, according to new research published by the TUC.
The figures show that six out of 10 union safety reps questioned by the TUC for its 2006 biennial safety reps survey found stress to be their most pressing concern at work.
London is the most stressed out part of the UK (67% of safety reps in the capital placed it top of their workplace hazards list), closely followed by the north west where two-thirds said it was the biggest problem.
And stress seems to be more of an issue in larger workplaces. In firms employing less than 50 staff, stress was the top concern for 58 per cent of safety reps, but in organisations with more than 1000 employees, the figure rises to more than two-thirds.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Stress is a preventable problem and UK employers simply aren't doing enough to minimise its impact. People who suffer from stress aren't wimps, and their symptoms can make them really ill. Stressed out employees are more likely to experience weight loss, high blood pressure, depression and even heart attacks.
"With time taken off work because of stress costing UK businesses some £3.7 billion a year, it makes no sense for employers to be ignoring the problem. The Health and Safety Executive has made it easy for them and produced new management standards to help them tackle stress. Bosses should be doing all they can to make sure their workplaces become as stress-free as possible."
When asked what were the factors most likely to lead to problems with stress at work, more than three-quarters of the reps said that excessive workloads were to blame. Other issues cited include cuts in staffing levels (57%), rapid change (53%), long working hours (34%) and bullying (33%).
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