Work-related stress is defined as 'the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them'.
About half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill; up to 5 million people in the UK feel "very" or "extremely" stressed by their work; and a total of 12.8 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2004/5.
Typical triggers of stress include:
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Lack of control over work;
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Excessive time pressures;
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Excessive or inflexible working hours;
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Too much or too little work or responsibility;
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Confusion about duties and responsibilities;
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Lack of job variety and interest;
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Inadequate training and possibilities for learning new skills;
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Poor work/life balance;
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Difficult relationships at work;
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Lack of support and lack of contact with colleagues;
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Organisational confusion, restructuring, job change;
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Uncertainty over job prospects.