Workplace mental health expert Nicky Bartley has launched a groundbreaking stress management audit system designed to transform how companies support their staff.

BESSIE, the  Bespoke Evaluation and Spotlight on Stress in Employment audit, is thought to be unique and is attracting enquiries from the UK and the USA within days of its launch.

Its exclusive features include an algorithm that can identify presenteeism at work – an issue proven to lead to an average loss of 30% productivity in a workforce.

Nicky, Managing Director of Newcastle-under-Lyme based Thrive and Shine Ltd, developed BESSIE with support from Keele University’s KRISP programme and Keele’s Smart Innovation Hub.

Nicky’s now planning to create four jobs as she grows a unique business supporting companies to take a deep dive into staff health, improving wellbeing and profitability.

A former Midlands Female Life Coach of the Year, Nicky has now combined her coaching skills with a powerful hi-tech package to analyse stress in the workplace.

Nicky said: “BESSIE has the potential to both improve employee health and change workplace culture, potentially creating healthier and wealthier workplaces. It’s estimated that over 15 million work days are lost every year due to employees suffering from work-related stress.

“It’s the first workplace stress audit built on clinical and academic research and data, developed by Thrive and Shine with the support of the KRISP programme. BESSIE produces reports to accurately measure stress in organisations, the causes and the impacts so that you can create a wellbeing strategy that’s meaningful.

“The ability of the BESSIE algorithm to identify the problem of presenteeism is unique and will be of great benefit to companies. Presenteeism refers to the lost productivity that occurs when employees are not fully functioning in the workplace and  leads to a minimum of 30% loss in productivity.

“Even a small percentage of the workforce struggling, results in financial implications for a business.  Ultimately, these are the employees who will leave, resulting in higher recruitment costs,  an eventual need to go off on long-term sick leave. The damage caused to both workers and the companies can be substantial.

The Thrive and Shine team will meet with company managers and staff, giving a comprehensive guide on how to input data into BESSIE. Once a report is produced, it is analysed by Thrive and Shines team of data analysts and mental health trainers.

Nicky then presents the report to the client and works with them on a programme of improvements.

She said: “Companies have to show commitment to get the best results from BESSIE but the rewards for commitment are extremely high both for health an workplace productivity. In the past, there’s been a tendency to push one size fits all solutions to companies. But all workplaces are different and we are committed to solving problems with bespoke solutions.”

To find put more about Thrive and Shine, go online to /www.thrive-and-shine.co.uk.