Stressfeatures prominently in the lives of many workers in the UK; from bankers and executives to bakers, builders and teachers.

There is often good reason for stress, although it may also be the case that stress is experienced without there being any obvious external cause. Employers are subject to both common law and a statutory duty of care to ensure, at least insofar as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees.

Contrary to the beliefs of many, this duty does not merely extend to accidents involving physical injury. Indeed, in some cases, it may be possible for employees to claim compensation for illness caused by exposure to stress. Furthermore, stress is far from purely a psychological complaint; it can manifest in a number of potentially harmful physical symptoms.

Stress is the body's natural reaction to situations that demand a certain type of response. In evolutionary terms, stress invokes the 'flight or fight' response that guides human beings. In the workplace, stressful circumstances do not typically give rise to a flight or fight response, so the chemicals that are produced in the body during this time – chiefly cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline – can build up to cause symptoms such as excessive sweating, high blood pressure and poor immune system control.

Claiming compensation for workplace stress can prove complex in certain circumstances, but in many cases it is possible to successfully bring a claim where workloads are high, deadlines are tight, working conditions are uncomfortable and so on.