New research and guidance on the behaviours required by managers to prevent and reduce stress in the workplace is published this week.

The research is jointly funded by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Investors in People (IiP).

It is part of a three-year project to identify the management behaviours that will help organisations reduce stress at work and comply with the HSE stress management standards.

The research has led to the development of a competency framework setting out the key management behaviours for managing stress at work. The behaviours are grouped under 12 competency headings including: acting with integrity; managing conflict; empathetic engagement; participative/empowering; and managing emotions.

Ben Willmott, employee relations adviser at the CIPD, said: “This research and guidance shows that managing stress at work is part and parcel of good people management. Employers that invest in training and developing their managers to ensure they exhibit the behaviours that manage stress at work will also reap benefits in terms of reduced conflict and staff turnover, as well as increased motivation and commitment.”

Stress and other mental health problems are the second biggest cause of working time lost to sickness absence, costing the UK an estimated £26bn a year.