How do I deal with health problems caused by work?

The law places responsibility on both employers and employees to look after health and safety at work.

If you believe that your work may be affecting your health, you should first discuss your concerns with your manager, occupational healthcare specialist, or nurse. Your trade union representative, or safety representative, may also be able to help you.

Where a specific medical condition has caused problems at work, you should seek advice from your doctor. If you have spoken to your employer about the problem, and you think that they are exposing you to risks, or they are not meeting their responsibilities, and you do not feel that you have got a satisfactory response, you can contact your local authority, if your place of work is inspected by them.

Coping with work-related stress

The modern working environment can often be a stressful environment. However, it is important not to ignore the symptoms of stress because they can have a long-term detrimental effect on your health. It is estimated that work-related stress is responsible for a third of all new incidences of ill health. Prolonged work-related stress can lead to depression and anxiety.

Signs that you may be experiencing work-related stress include:

• finding yourself eating 'on the run', or not at all,
• smoking, or drinking, excessively,
• doing several tasks at once,
• missing breaks and taking work home with you,
• constantly rushing from one place to another,
• feeling that there are never enough hours in the day to complete your work, and
• finding it hard to make time for exercise and relaxation.

If you are experiencing work-related stress, you should talk to your manager and your human resources department. Your employers have a duty of care to take all reasonable steps to resolve the problem. It is also in their best interest to have a happy, healthy, and productive, workforce

Many people find themselves stressed because they place unrealistic expectations on themselves and constantly accept new tasks and responsibilities. It is important to learn to say 'no' occasionally, or explain to your manager that you have many conflicting priorities which cannot all be accomplished at once.

Getting regular exercise is also a good way to relieve stress.