By Caroline Cook

A new report, commissioned by the mental health charity Mind, says that nearly 13 million working days are lost each year to work-related stress and that businesses are failing to meet the mental needs of their employees.

The charity is calling for employees to address the rising stress levels by implementing official policies on mental health something that less then ten per cent of companies currently have in place.

To mark the launch of the report, Mind is encouraging employees to host a let-off steam' tea parties where employees can take out away from their work to relax, chat with colleagues, play games or just sit quietly for a while to escape the stresses of the day.

They are also launching a new initiative where people with direct experience of mental distress can become coaches, training and advising employers on mental health in the workplace.

Most of us recognise the feeling of being stressed at work and in the short time, it probably won't do us too much harm, but prolonged stress can lead to both physical and mental problems.

It can in turn cause heart and muscle problems as well as triggering conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Despite the number of people suffering from stress problems, there is still a degree of stigma attached to admitting it and asking for help.

Mind's chief executive Richard Brook said, "Today's competitive and pressured work environments can make it very difficult for people to work stress problems without the fear of affecting their career prospects."

Mind hopes that getting employers to set up official mental health in the work place' policies will make people feel more comfortable about accepting help and hopefully prevent stress levels building in the first place.

Making sure that people receive the correct training, their work environment is suitable and making sure workloads are reasonable will go a long way to preventing work-related stress.

But when the pressure does get too much, employers who provide confidential counselling services, on the job support or even just a quiet-room for staff to use, can make life much easier for people affected.

Avoiding stress can be easier said than done and asking for help can be just as hard.

But by managing stress correctly and taking stress mental health as seriously as they do physical health and safety, employers can help their staff to cope better with the stresses and strains of everyday life.

For further information, visit www.mind.org.uk