Work-related stress is a major cause of occupational ill health, poor productivity and human error. That means increased sickness absence, high staff turnover and poor performance and a possible increase in accidents due to human error. My Department and the Health and Safety Executive recognise the impact that work-related stress can have on the British work force. HSE has therefore developed Management Standards for Work-related Stress, designed to address the key causes of stress at work and help employers, employees and their representatives manage the issue sensibly and minimise the impact of work-related stress on their businesses.