Depression in the workplace: legislation and recommendations

In general, i see more company's that are cutting staff numbers to the bone and expecting, demanding in some cases more from their employees.

Added to this peer culture in office environments with early start and late finnish, are we any closer to a work/life ballance than we were in the early 1900's.

Senior management and shareholders demand their kilo of flesh, in some cases with VAT

"Performance Anxiety" might be a good name for non-clinical depression in the workplace as demands increase and any perceptions of control or any real sense of value that may support 'meaning and purpose' are eroded to the point where many "feel" more like wage earning machines.

If we are going to redefine "reasonably practicable" in terms of health and safety response to "foreseeable" hazards perhaps it's time to redefine "demand" in terms of increased "risk" to performance and productivity where attention or "VD" (Vigilance Decrmation) results in increased risk of harm or injury to the individual.

The risks associated with visual and/or physical fatigue may be temporary but significant in terms of maintaining attention or vigilance in any occupation that could be charactorised as safety critical.

The current focus may be on machinery operaters especially those behind a wheel but there are many more people behind a display screen who are equally at risk of making significant errors when VD takes affect.

"Given" conditions in working environment and culture can no longer be dismissed as wolly nanny state principals if CSR is to improve asset management of human resources in order to address performance, productivity and retention of functional human resources.