| Bosses are being warned that they must protect their | | | | concerns seriously. "Although access to stress |
| staff from stress in the workplace if they want to | | | | counselors and medical advice is a supportive step in |
| avoid costly damages! The warning comes after a UK | | | | the right direction, it's not the answer to the problem as |
| woman was awarded over £130,000 after she | | | | a whole. "Many employees feel under pressure, |
| suffered a nervous breakdown brought on by | | | | particularly when a company is working to meet tough |
| pressure at work. A Shropshire Employment Law | | | | deadlines, but it's the employer's responsibility to ensure |
| Specialist in the UK, warns that this case was a timely | | | | their health does not suffer as a direct consequence |
| reminder for employers that they must take stress | | | | of striving for business success." The scope and |
| seriously! "The woman had repeatedly told her | | | | complexity of employment law has developed |
| employer about the amount of work she was | | | | dramatically in recent years. There seems to be a |
| struggling with, and she claimed they did nothing to help | | | | new development every month and as a result, |
| her tackle the issue." The High Court ruled that the | | | | keeping abreast of the rights and obligations of both |
| demands made on her were totally unreasonable, and | | | | employers and employees can be an ongoing concern. |
| if action had been taken, her breakdown could | | | | Stress in the workplace is a serious matter and should |
| probably have been avoided. The employer in the | | | | be a taken seriously by all UK employers. Always |
| case had referred the woman to a stress counsellor, | | | | seek professional legal advice form a specialist |
| but at no stage was anyone brought in to share her | | | | employment solicitor if in any doubt of employee and |
| workload. "Simply offering stress counsellings is not a | | | | employer rights. This article is free to republish provided |
| long-term solution - if the root of the problem is the | | | | this resource box remains intact. |
| amount of work an employee is facing, the | | | | John Mehtam heads the employment law team at |
| management team have to tackle the problem directly. | | | | Martin Kaye Solicitors. John runs numerous |
| As an employer, you are ultimately responsible for the | | | | presentations on this specialist subject & provides |
| welfare of your staff, and it's vital that you take their | | | | Employment Law Training for UK Businesses. |