Employees taking stress-related leave of absence can have a serious effect on small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), according to one expert.
A spokesperson from the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) states that retraining staff, paying absent employees and arranging cover can all take their toll on SMEs.
Ray Allger of the HSC said due to the fact that smaller businesses do not have the same resources as larger companies the cost can soon mount up and this reflected the importance of good health and safety practice.
"If somebody if off due to work-related stress they can be off for quite a long time and it can end up costing the small business quite a lot of money," he said.
He added that a service offered by the commission called Workplace Connect could assist SMEs by identifying areas in the workplace where issues of stress were likely to occur.
The primary legislation in place to protect employees and maintain good levels of practice is the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974.
