Employee absence caused by excess stress at work to become notifiable to the HSE
Employee absence caused by excess stress at work to become notifiable to the HSE
Why this petition matters
Absence from poor mental health caused by stress at work is already recognised by the Health & Safety Executive as the highest major contributory factor to working days lost each year, so making this notifiable to the Regulator is the next key step in forcing all employers across the UK to take ownership!
The world of work within the united kingdom changed forever with the introduction of the RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Disease, Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) in 1995. The key factor right now is that anyone off work for a period of over 7 days as a result of an injury sustained at work is to be notifiable to the Regulator (the Health & Safety Executive).
Although at the time considered an administrative burden by employers, the impact was the UK approach towards safety changed forever as suddenly threatened with investigation and prosecution, those responsible for the safety of their workforce started to take Injury prevention seriously and in turn make reasonable adjustments to Policies and working practices to prevent incidents and injuries occurring in their workplace to their employees. The absence rates plummeted as a result.
This petition is aimed at doing the same for mental health absence caused by work.
The Regulations presently demand that 'anyone off work as a result of workplace injury for over 7 days is notifable to the HSE' so Government should add the words 'or Illness' so in future it reads 'any employee off work absent for over 7 days as a result of workplace Injury or Illness is notifiable to the HSE by their employer’
In making this addition we will make all UK employers take seriously their responsibilities towards 'Mental Health' at work. Employers will in the same way they have for Safety, begin to take steps to implmenent policies, systems and processes that will impact competency levels, behaviours and ultimately the culture of their workplace. Causing a fundamental shift in how excessive stress caused by work that leads to absence for mental health reasons is considered unnacceptable.
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