5 ways to reduce stress-related claims

There’s a growing school of thought that HR and Risk professionals should get to know each other a bit better, perhaps even share data and insights, in order to identify and prevent mental health issues in the workplace. The ultimate goal? Improved employee engagement and productivity, plus a reduction in stress-related group income protection (IP) and employers’ liability (EL) claims.

The rationale is that if the two areas of expertise got involved in a more ‘formal’ relationship, potential hot spots and issues amongst the workforce could be more readily identified. This in turn would allow for the more strategic use of early intervention and rehabilitation benefits available as part of group IP policies, meeting both HR and Risk objectives.

Frances Stapleford, Deputy Claims Officer at Generali UK, comments: “An EL claim has a far higher chance of succeeding if an employer fails to act on signs and advice from employees that indicate they might be suffering from stress.

“So it stands to reason that an employer who provides manager training on how to spot the signs of stress or has regular EAP awareness campaigns has more chance of reducing the likelihood of EL stress claims arising.”