The B'stard Syndrome

Stress at work costs economy £100bn a year, says Mind and they go on to do the stuff about symptoms and personality factors.

What they missed out is what I call the "Bastard Syndrome".

Faced with work stress, I ask first "Are you doing two peoples' work?" , to which he patient replies either "Yes, how did you know that?" or, "No, three people's work."

And if the answer is "No", I ask where the Bastard is. This gives them the opportunity to sound off about the boss or the office bully.

Bastards can be identified because they have lots of people in their office going off sick.

But because they are bastards they will see to it that they do not get identified.