Recent rulings on stress at work have been welcomed by the engineering and manufacturing industry in Yorkshire and Humberside.

The Court of Appeal has laid out guidelines governing employers liability for work-related stress. Stress is seen as one of the most common reasons for people being absent from work.

Ian Hughes, of the Engineering Employers Federation Yorkshire and Humberside, said: "In recent years, stress has appeared on an increasing number of sick-notes and often employers find themselves at something of a loss as to how they should tackle the problem.

"One recent survey reported that for non-manual workers, employers perceive stress as the second most significant cause of absence."

New rulings found employers are usually entitled to assume staff can withstand the normal pressures of the job, unless there is a particular problem or vulnerability.

But, employers should be on the look out for warnings signs of future harm to health.