Councils in Wales have been counting the cost of the stress-related sickness of its staff and teachers, with one county revealing it had spent over one million pounds covering sick days.

Conwy council calculated that it had spent £1,015,649 on absences, plus the cost of hiring temporary employees and overtime payments to cover for absent staff, according to the Daily Post.

Commenting on these figures, Julian Stanley, Chief Executive of Teacher Support Cymru said:

"Unfortunately, we are not surprised by these absence figures. Teaching is a rewarding, but often challenging profession and even the greatest teachers can struggle with the stresses and pressures they are faced with. The situation in Wales reflects that of the UK as a whole, where stress is the leading cause of work-related illness in the education sector."

The report suggests that staff in Conwy took an average of 11.09 stress-related sick days last year, which was up from 10.7 days in 2008-09.

"Worryingly, the cost and the impact of these absences are even greater than the monetary values mentioned imply. One teacher's absence can have an immeasurable affect not only on the colleagues who must take up their workload, but also the pupils being taught. Inevitably, educational standards will drop" explained Julian Stanley. "Sickness absence decreases - and therefore standards of education for pupils improve - when schools and councils implement meaningful policies that protect and enhance teachers' wellbeing."

Teacher Support Cymru believes that stress-related absence can be prevented with early supportive intervention. Teacher Support Cymru offers free, confidential, bilingual Support Services and Support Lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, where teachers in Wales can access the right information and advice to help them tackle stress before it leads to long-term absence.

If you are struggling with stress and would like to talk in confidence, call our Support Line on 08000 855 088.