Organization Says Regulators Should Categorize Work Stress as Safety Hazard

Work is a common source of psychological stress for millions of men and women. Whether you work in a climate-controlled office or outside under the hot summer sun, you may feel stressed at the end of the day. While some workers brush off this stress as being a normal "part of the job," it can take a toll on your health. In fact, one organization is calling for regulators to categorize stress as a safety hazard in the workplace.

According to a new report published by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF), roughly three-fourths of adults have experienced overwhelming stress in the past year. For women, rates of overwhelming stress were even higher at 81%. Unfortunately, chronic stress is often an underlying factor of suicide.

Based on these findings, the MHF says that regulators should implement new regulations for employers. Currently, there are few to no requirements regarding chronic stress in the workplace. Rather, employers are required to provide safe working conditions through the use of personal protective equipment, safety protocols, etc. But the MHF wants the government to step up and include stress, as well as overall mental health, in their workplace regulations.

"There are very few workplaces left in the UK in which employees working with hazardous chemicals would not be provided with protective equipment, and failures resulting in injury or even death prosecuted. We do not currently adopt the same attitudes and behaviors towards psychological hazards," wrote the MHF in its report.

Of course, there are steps that employers can take to reduce work-related stress and protect workers from mental health disorders. First, employers should ensure that workers are getting the appropriate breaks during their work shifts. While the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn't specifically require employers to provide employees with rest breaks or meal breaks, certain states have their own labor laws regarding breaks. But even if an employer's state doesn't require them, he or she should still consider allowing workers to take breaks because of the positive impact it has on workers' stress levels as well as their overall productivity levels.

Employers can also reduce stress in the workplace by creating a positive company culture that discourages negativity and, instead, focuses on motivation and encouragement. Making just a few small changes to the workplace can have a significant impact on workers' stress levels.

News of the MHF's findings on stress and workers' health comes in the wake of Mental Health Awareness Week. Established by U.S. Congress in 1990, this seven-day event is intended to raise awareness for the growing problem of mental health disorders.