Ways to manage and minimise stress, anxiety and depression in the workplace were discussed during a UK summit hosted by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), aimed to show how an organisational approach to preventing known stressors in the working environment can deliver tangible benefits for organisations and their workforces.
The UK’s Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, Penny Mordaunt MP, provided the summit’s keynote address, highlighting the UK Government’s focus on work, health and disability, with an emphasis on improving mental health.
She also commented on the high level of interest and response – including from IOSH – to the Government’s recent ‘Improving Lives’ Green Paper consultation, which explored how disabled people and people with long-term health conditions can be supported to get into, and to stay in, work.
Richard Jones, IOSH’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs attended an invite-only breakfast meeting for key stakeholders, including the summit’s speakers, aimed at gathering further contributions to the HSE’s Helping Great Britain work well strategy, including on occupational stress.
Following the events, Richard said: “It provided a great opportunity to share ideas about good management of mental health at work and what improvements are needed. It also gave IOSH the opportunity to highlight our current research in this area.”
HSE used the summit to outline its plans to refresh guidance on implementing the stress management standards, develop digital resources, produce tailored tools for SMEs and conduct pilots aimed at devising bespoke interventions.
Caption: Richard Jones, IOSH’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, was among members of IOSH’s policy team who attended the Stress Summit
