It's Finally Starting! Stress Checks Become Mandatory for Workplaces with Fewer Than 50 Employees

What matters is not just "conducting it," but "connecting it to prevention."

Until now, the stress check system was mandatory for workplaces with 50 or more regular employees. However, due to an amendment to the Industrial Safety and Health Act, the scope will now be expanded to include workplaces with fewer than 50 employees.

Some owners of small and medium-sized enterprises or small businesses might think:

"We are fine because we have a small number of staff," or "There is no problem because the scale is small enough that I can see everyone's faces."

They might think this way.

However, in reality, leaves of absence and resignations due to poor mental health occur regardless of the size of the workplace. In fact, in small workplaces, the impact of one person taking leave on operations is greater, making early prevention crucial.

This institutional change is not just a legal amendment, but also a major message that "we should promote efforts to protect the mental health of workers throughout society as a whole."

What is the purpose of the stress check system?

There are sometimes misunderstandings about the stress check system.

That is,

"It is a system to identify problematic employees"

is not what it is.

The purpose of the system is for employees themselves to become aware of their own stress levels.

When working,

- Fatigue that doesn't go away, - Inability to sleep, - Becoming easily irritated, - Lack of motivation for work, - Finding it troublesome to talk to people

Changes like these can appear.

However, many people do not notice these changes amidst their busyness and continue to push themselves. The stress check is a mechanism to create an opportunity to objectively confirm one's own state and connect to early consultation and countermeasures as needed.

Mental health measures are important precisely because we are in an era of labor shortages.

Currently, labor shortages are a challenge in many industries. Companies across all sectors, including manufacturing, construction, transportation, retail, service, and medical/welfare industries, are struggling to secure human resources.

In such a situation, creating an environment where each and every employee can continue to work with peace of mind has become a very important theme in corporate management.

A workplace where employees can work in good physical and mental health leads to:

・Lower turnover rates
・Better talent retention
・Increased productivity
・Improved workplace atmosphere
・Enhanced recruitment appeal

as well.

Conversely, in workplaces where mental health issues are on the rise, various problems can occur in a chain reaction, including not only absenteeism and leaves of absence, but also a lack of communication, the occurrence of harassment, and a decline in work quality.

There is no point in just "conducting it and being done"

There is something I would like to convey most of all here.

That is,

that the stress check is not over once it is conductedthat is.

If you only perform the check to comply with the system, you cannot protect the health of your employees.

What is important is how you utilize the results.

For example,

・Are there issues with communication within the workplace?
・Is there an imbalance in workload?
・Are there problems with how managers interact with staff?
・Is the environment one where it is easy to seek advice?

It is necessary to confirm these things and connect them to improving the workplace environment.

The stress check is not the goal, but the starting line for workplace improvement.

Self-care training that I recommend

As a labor and social security attorney, I provide support for mental health measures and harassment prevention at many companies.

Among these, I particularly recommend "self-care training."

Self-care means becoming aware of your own stress and acquiring the ability to deal with it yourself.

In the training, you will:

・Understand the mechanism of stress
・Know your own stress signs
・Learn how to manage your emotions well
・Increase your ways to change your mood and refresh
・Understand the importance of seeking advice

You will learn content such as this.

I propose and implement initiatives to verbalize one's emotions and state of mind, utilizing tools such as self-care cards.
Not ignoring the feeling that "something feels off" and being able to realize "I am a little tired right now" leads to the prevention of mental health issues.

Valuing the Perspective of Prevention

In my daily work, I always convey that "prevention is more important than dealing with labor disputes."

Mental health measures are the same.
It is important to promote the creation of a workplace that prevents poor health, rather than responding only after someone becomes unwell.

The expansion of the scope of this stress check system should serve as a catalyst for that.

I would like you to utilize this not just as a way to fulfill legal obligations, but as the first step toward creating a workplace where employees can work with peace of mind.

The health of those who work is a company's asset.

I encourage you to take this opportunity to review the stress check system from the perspective of "prevention" and consider engaging in self-care training and workplace environment improvements.