An initiative has been launched to help prevent council workers falling ill because of office stress.
Darlington Borough Council is launching an anti-stress policy this week with a series of fun events for staff.
During the week, council employees will be invited to take a lunchtime walk, join in an aerobic session and find out more about ways of beating stress.
Each worker will also receive a free copy of the policy, detailing how they prevent their stress levels from building up.
A council spokeswoman said: "It is about prevention being better than cure. We want people to recognise the signs of stress before it becomes a problem, and to make sure they have the balance right between home and work.
"Employees will be encouraged to looks at things like time management and sleep patterns, and managers will get extra information to help them reduce stress in their team."
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