Wales is Europe leader in managing stress - 27th November 2006
...and strategy could help save taxpayers £ millions
Absence from work due to stress, anxiety and depression in the public sector costs every Welsh taxpayer £419 a year*, says a project group set up to tackle this major economic and social issue in Wales.
With one in three Welsh workers in the public sector, Healthy Minds at Work (HMAW) says that people who are not working due to stress-related issues is therefore costing the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds. The money funds replacement staff, state benefits and a range of other allowances. Employers also face substantial costs of sickness pay, or having to recruit and train replacement staff. It is also a personal tragedy for the individuals concerned and their families.
But now the HMAW initiative has devised strategies that provide an integrated network of help and support to help people tackle the root of stress related problems so they are able to stay in their jobs. This job-retention programme has proven so successful among the 42 Welsh employer and advisory partners that it is now being emulated in other European countries. It is also in line with the Welsh Assembly Government’s action plan for the integrated delivery of public services, announced last week.
HMAW is a Remploy led initiative backed by the European Social EQUAL Fund. It is administered by the Welsh Assembly Government Wales European Funding Office (WEFO), and is a partnership between disability employment specialist Remploy, Unison Cymru, and a range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations.
Project director Mike Clarke, a Remploy senior manager, told a conference in Cardiff today, "With one in five people in Wales likely to experience stress, anxiety or depression at some time during their working lives, this is a major economic and social issue. People who suffer form severe stress or depression are not different people, they just have different needs. For example; Government and other work support initiatives do not recognize that mental health problems may be spasmodic and do not fit into time bound project based interventions. When a person loses or gives up a job due to stress the costs can be as much as £25,000 a year to the state in benefits and other costs over a year - whereas providing the integrated support to help someone stay in a job may only cost as little as £1,600. (*see below)
"The advantages of job retention are obvious: people can stay economically active, employers avoid recruitment and training costs for replacement workers, and it greatly benefits individuals in terms of personal finance, self esteem and their general well-being if they can stay in employment."
He added, "Stress is not an illness to be treated. It is often the impact on an individual of work or social issues. Anxiety can result from a variety of factors in or outside work, and they can be addressed with the right support network. And that is what Healthy Minds at Work does. In many cases medical intervention alone is not the answer. We can address an individual's specific needs by calling in support from various organisations that can work together to help and by ensuring that the safety net is there to quickly address spasmodic lapses. The trick is to work together.
"We have created the same kind of support for people with mental problems as already exists for those with physical injuries or disabilities. We want to remove the stigma that is still associated with stress and depression.”
Mike Clarke added that the HMAW job retention model is now being adopted in Sweden and the Netherlands, with other countries showing interest.
Andrew Davies AM, Welsh Assembly Government minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, told the conference, "When a person gives up work due to stress and depression-related conditions, it is a personal tragedy that also impacts on employers and taxpayers.
"Healthy Minds at Work proves that an integrated network of managed support can help people to cope and stay in employment. It’s better for them and for the wider community. I am delighted that Wales has taken a lead in tackling this major economic and social issue, and that other countries are following our lead.”
Mr Davies added, “Just a few days ago the Welsh Assembly Government announced a major review of public services. The key principles of our action plan – ‘Making the Connections: Delivering Beyond Boundaries’ - are putting citizens first, working together to deliver, developing a world class public workforce, plus achieving efficiency and major performance. Healthy Minds at Work is an practical example of what working together can achieve. It is a pathfinder in its approach to a serious economic social and economic problem, and in the way it is tackling these issues.”
Further information on Healthy Minds at Work is available on healthymindsatwork.org.uk
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