Workers 'increasingly' claiming depression or stress

Britain's employees are increasingly claiming to be suffering from stress or depression, it has been claimed.

According to reports by the Western Mail, the increase in claims is being blamed by one law firm upon a strategy to avoid disciplinary action when workplace performance becomes questioned.

Indeed, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Wales has confirmed that instances of staff pretending to be suffering from stress are on the increase.

However, for those legitimately suffering from the effects of stress, it can be managed in a number of ways, including through meditation and exercise. Certain types of music are also thought to induce feelings of relaxation.

"We know of cases where people have tried to play the system for all its worth," said Russell Lawson, a representative for the FSB in Wales.

"I was talking to a small business who had taken someone on for six weeks, who then took the next year-and-a-half off with various ailments and it cost them a fortune," he added.