A recent Review, launched by the British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF) and sponsored by FirstAssist, revealed that effective intervention at work, combined with support from line managers, can play a key role in helping individuals who have common mental health problems.
Tim Ablett, chief executive of FirstAssist, said: "With over 105 million days lost to stress each year, employers need to look at alternative ways of managing staff absence.
For some, sickness absence is just a symptom of a bigger problem and external factors could be contributing to staff stress levels.
"Effective health and wellbeing initiatives such as sickness absence management, employee assistance programmes and access to rehabilitation services, including counselling, help to maintain a healthy and productive workforce."
"We also advise employers to conduct a Stress Audit, which will help them get to the root cause of stress, rather than just addressing the symptoms.
"National Stress Awareness Day [2 November] should encourage employers to combat stress in the workplace to reduce absence by enhancing morale and productivity."
