CORPORATE

Problem: "Stress is likely to become the greatest emerging risk to business in the 21st century". (Associated Insurers Group)

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) says workplace stress arises "when the demands on a person exceed the capacity to meet them." And it says most stress and stress-related illness is preventable with good work design, safe work practices, and adequate resources.

The Agency says stress can effects us at four levels: Emotional (causing fatigue and anxiety), cognitive (leading to mistakes and accidents), behavioural (possibly manifest in smoking, excessive drinking or over-eating) and physiological, with potentially serious symptoms like raised blood pressure, heart disease, reduced resistance to infection and digestive problems.

Leading experts report that stress is the second most common cause of sickness absence from work lasting 21 days or more. It is predicted that by 2020, five of the top ten medical problems worldwide will be stress-related.