The Cost of Absence

Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them. There is a clear distinction between pressure, which can create a "buzz" and be a motivating factor, and stress, which can occur when this pressure becomes excessive.

• About 1 in 5 people say that they find their work either very or extremely stressful
• Over half a million people report experiencing work-related stress at a level they believe has actually made them ill
• Each case of stress-related ill health leads to an average of 29 working days lost
• A total of 13.4 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2001
• Work-related stress costs society between £3.7 billion and £3.8 billion a year
• The average out of court settlement for stress is £44,000
• A healthy workforce is rated in the top 5 issues for boardrooms
• 1 in 4 Finance Directors do not know the cost of ill-health in their business