Back pain in the workplace Causes of pain Back pain can be caused by many work situations. The exact cause is often unclear, but back pain is more common in roles that involve: heavy manual labour, and handling tasks in heavy industry; manual handling in awkward places, like delivery work; repetitive tasks, such as manual...

If you work in an office and use a computer, you can avoid injury by sitting in the right position and arranging your desk correctly. Follow these tips: Support your back Avoid back pain by adjusting your chair so that your lower back is properly supported. A correctly adjusted chair will reduce the strain on...

Stress Is my firm required by law to tackle stress? As an employer you have duties under health and safety law to assess and take measures to control risks from work-related stress. You also have a duty under common law to take reasonable care to ensure the health and safety of your employees. If one...

The causes of stress What are the common causes of stress for employees? There are many factors that can cause stress and it maybe that it is a combination of these and domestic problems that you need to be aware of. These include: Demands of the job and excessive workloads This is where employee’s feel...

Signs and symptoms of stress at work Be aware of changes in behaviour and working practices to identify the signs and symptoms of stress. These include: ·         Working longer hours ·         Increased tiredness and irritability or aggression ·         Deteriorating work and performance ·         Indecision and poor judgement ·         Loss of sense of humour ·         Uncommunicative...

Flowchart: How to have a difficult conversation In private – switch off phones, ensure you are uninterrupted Ask simple, open questions which are non-judgemental Avoid being patronising and don’t make assumptions Maintain eye contact Speak calmly  Listen and respond to the issues raised by reflecting back what they say to clarify  the causes Encourage the...