Stress Audits

What you Need to Know

It is now accepted that stress in the workplace impacts both on the individual and on the organisation, leading many organisations to actively manage stress.

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the main reason for absence from work is minor illness; however the second cause of absence for non-manual workers is stress, and it is also the fourth reason for manual workers' absence.

This review addresses current issues involved in measuring workplace stress. It begins by discussing what a stress audit is and what information it produces.

Other issues, such as the validity and reliability of stress audits, the potential benefits and pitfalls of assessing stress, what products are available, the implications of conducting stress audits and what next steps to take after conducting one, are also addressed.