7 June 2010
A report published recently in the May 2010 edition of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that there is a link between high pressure jobs and heart disease risks in women. The Danish research was carried out on more than 12,000 nurses and indicates that work pressure can increase incidents of angina and heart attacks in women. The research seemed to indicate that work pressure had a greater effect on the health of young women, than those in their 50s and 60s.
June Davison, a cardiac nurse with the British Heart Foundation, said people who were stressed at work should talk to colleagues or managers about how to manage the pressures.
"If you feel under pressure you should try and tackle it in a positive way and get active during work hours," she said.
In May 2010 an article in the European Heart Journal indicated that the culture of working long hours, which is not uncommon in England, can be associated with heart disease, stress, depression and even diabetes.
It is possible for legal claims to proceed on this basis – in 2005 a publican, Mr Harding won his case at first instance that his heart attack had been caused by the long hours he worked under stressful conditions as manager of a public house in a rough area. Unfortunately the decision was overturned on appeal on the basis nothing had been said to alert the defendants of the dangers to Mr Harding’s health, and his illness was therefore not foreseeable.
Research by the Health and Safety Executive has shown that one of the major causes of work-related stress is the impact of managers and their skills in managing staff and stress in the work place. The organisation has produced guidelines to help managers manage this risk.
If an employee has experienced work-related stress and has suffered a ‘foreseeable injury’ they may have grounds for claiming compensation from their employer.
For more information please contact Daniel Easton or Camilla Palmer on 020 7650 1200.
Information was correct at time of publishing. See terms and conditions for further details.
Information was correct at time of publishing. See terms and conditions for further details.