Marvin OnumonuThe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a free online training module to help employers manage work-related stress.
The module aims to guide employers through risk assessments, identifying root causes, and implementing practical solutions.
The initiative was launched to support HSE’s working minds campaign, which promotes good mental health and stress prevention in workplaces.
The module offers step-by-step advice, along with templates, tools, and resources to help businesses, especially small to medium organisations, meet their legal responsibilities.
Kayleigh Roberts from HSE’s engagement and policy division said: “Preventing work-related stress isn’t just the right thing to do for your workers – it’s also a legal requirement.
“Our new online learning module aims to make it easier for businesses, particularly small to medium organisations to understand their obligations and what they need to do on a practical level.
“This isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about embedding good practices into everyday business operations.”
Roberts added: “By taking a proactive approach, employers can improve productivity, reduce sickness absence, and retain their valued workers.
“The module provides all the practical templates, tools and resources needed to get started or to review existing practices.”
HSE highlighted six main areas that can lead to work-related stress if not properly managed: demands, control, support, relationships, role, and change.
HSE encouraged businesses to use the ‘5Rs’ approach to support risk assessment: reach out and have conversations, recognise the signs and causes of stress, respond to risks by agreeing action points, reflect on the actions taken, and make it routine to check in regularly.
