Pressure is an inevitability of life and most of us need a certain amount to thrive and achieve peak performance. However, we all know that too much, too often, is detrimental to our health and wellbeing. In today’s fast-paced, continually connected society, our work and home pressures are higher than ever.
Latest Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) research states that one in four workers feel their job negatively affects their mental health. Further CIPD research found one in five people lose sleep worrying about non-work related issues, such as their personal finances.  Through delivering nearly 20,000 employee health checks for a variety of large and small organisations last year, we found that 68% of people were experiencing medium to high levels of pressure.  These findings and other research found in reports such as the Thriving at Work report, provide a compelling case for employers to take steps to support the health and wellbeing of their workers.
Levels of ‘presenteeism’, (working whilst ill) and ‘leavism’ (taking time off but continuing to work) are reaching unprecedented levels.  Increased presenteeism is strongly linked with increases in mental health conditions as well as stress-related absence, which are among the top causes of long-term sickness absence.
Supporting people to recognise their triggers and identify and manage the biggest pressure points in their lives is perhaps an area many employers feel is beyond their remit.  However, the very best employers are taking a proactive stance, empowering people to take ownership of their health and wellbeing.
The CIPD recommends employers conduct a stress audit to identify pressure ‘hot spots’ at work. But work is only half the story. If an employee is struggling with their finances or carer responsibilities, work-focused audits are unlikely to capture these issues in their entirety. Employers run the risk of work-specific stress audits not being fit for purpose, increasing the risk of stress-related absence.  Healthy Performance’s latest employee wellbeing innovation is a new stress audit tool that has been designed to plug this gap.
Pascal™ is a new and pioneering online audit specially designed to help organisations gauge levels of pressure and stress among their workers. Building on validated stress management standards, and responding to a gap in the market, Pascal™ is the first stress audit tool of its kind to include separate work and home results.  Personalised employee reports are clear, comprehensive and engaging and to help people cope with life’s challenges and find a better balance, Pascal™ provides users an opportunity to access a ‘Take5’ resource library containing a wealth of videos, podcasts and help sheets.

In addition, the organisation report identifies key pressure points to allow a proactive approach to pressure and stress, with the flexibility for organisations to include bespoke questions.
A physically and mentally healthy workplace is an energising, productive and profitable workplace. Find out more about Pascal™. Whilst should you like to know how Healthy Performance can support you with employee mental and physical wellbeing, contact us via our website, call us on 0800 170 1777 or email us at team@healthyperformance.co.uk