stree managmenet

7/31/2019 STREE MANAGMENET

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DECLARATION

I Madhupriya of MBA IV semester ,hereby declare that the project titled stress managementwith reference to Bharat Petroleum limited is completed and submitted. This is my originalwork and have not been published or printed for any other purpose.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I cannot in full measure appreciate and acknowledgement the kindness shown and helpextended by various persons in this endeavour.I would like to take the opportunity for thanking each of my respected teachers for their support, which they have provided me in different ways.

Madhupriya

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PREFACE

Modern life is full of stress on individuals ranges from personal day to day life to their organizational activities. Urbanization, industrialization and increase in scale of operations inthe society are causing increasing stresses. In this challenging environment participation,interaction, transaction, planning and regulation have become key issues, each with itsfrustration attached. People feel stress as they can no longer have complete control over whathappens in life. In todays context stress is a costly business expense that affects bothemployees health and company profits.

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CONTENTS

Objectives 11-12 Research methodology 13-16 About Bharat Petroleum Ltd. 17-39 Liteature review About stress management 40-53 Findings 54-60 Data analysis 61-62 Suggestions 63-64 Conclusion 65-66 Questionnaire 67-68 Bibliography 69-70

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OBJECTIVES

To find the HR policies useful to reduce the stress level in the employees. To find the level of stress and procedures used in organization to reduce the stress .

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

Research design specifies the methods and procedures for conducting a particular study. Aresearch design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of the data in amanner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in a procedure.Research design is broadly classified into three types as :-

1. Exploratory research design.2. Descriptive research design.3. Casual research design.

Descriptive research design has been chosen. It is basically to describe the characteristics of

particular individual.

SAMPLE DESIGN

A sample design is a definite platform obtaining a sample from a population.

SAMPLING METHOD

Random sampling method has been used. An enumeration of 50 employees .

SAMPLE TECHNIQUE

Percentage method is taken to analysis and interpret the collected data.

RANDOM SAMPLING

A random sample gives every unit of population known and non zero probability of beingselected. Since random sampling implies equal probability to every unit in the population.

COLLECTION OF DATA

For the purpose of analyzing data it is necessary to collect the vital information.There are 2 types of data:1. Primary data.2. Secondary data.

Primary Data

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Primary data can be collected through questionnaire. The questionnaire can be classified into 4main types:(a) Structured non disguised questionnaire.(b) Structured disguised questionnaire.

(c) Non structured non disguised questionnaire.(d) Non structured disguised questionnaire.

Structured non disguised questionnaire has been selected.

3 types of questions are being adopted:Open ended questionsDichotomous questionsMultiple choice questions.

Primary Sources:

Questionnaire

Secondary Data

Secondary data means data that are already available that is they refer to the data which havealready been collected and analyzed by someone else. Secondary data can be published or unpublished data.

Secondary sources:

Company profile Book and various websites Public record and statistics.

COLLECTION TECHNIQUEQuestionnaire method is used in collection of data.

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BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION LIMITED

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited engages in refining, storing, marketing, and distributing petroleum products in India. It also involves in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons. The company offers various products, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),naphtha, motor spirit, special boiling point spirit/hexane, benzene, toluene, polypropylenefeedstock, aviation turbine fuel, superior kerosene oil, high speed diesel, light diesel oil,mineral turpentine oil, lube oil base stock, furnace oil, low sulphur heavy stock, sulphur, and

bitumen. In addition, it retails liquefied petroleum gas under the Bharatgas brand name; andmarkets aeroshell lubricants to aircraft operators. As of March 31, 2007, the companysmarketing network consisted of 21 aviation service stations; 7,537 retail outlets; and 2,129LPG distributors. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited was founded in 1928 and is based in

Mumbai, India.

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Key Statistics about Bharat Petroleum

Top Locations

Bombay Area, India Delhi Area, India

Bharat Petroleum Headquarters Address

Bharat Bhavan 4 & 6 Currimbhoy Road Ballard EstateMumbai, Maharashtra 400 001

India .

Headquarters Bombay Area, IndiaIndustry Oil & EnergyType Public CompanyStatus OperatingCompany Size 13,968 employees2007 Revenue 984,192 mil [INR] (27%)Founded 1928

Website http://www.bharatpetroleu...

CommonJob Titles

Manager 30%Executive 7%Dy Manager 5%Territory Manager 5%Finance Manager 3%

Companies related to Bharat Petroleum

Career path for Bharat Petroleum employees after:

IBM Reliance

Bharat Petroleum employees are most connected to

BPCL

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http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&currentCompany=currentCompany&searchLocationType=I&distance=25&countryCode=in&postalCode=400604http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&currentCompany=currentCompany&searchLocationType=I&distance=25&countryCode=in&postalCode=400604http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&currentCompany=currentCompany&searchLocationType=I&distance=25&countryCode=in&postalCode=110041http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&currentCompany=currentCompany&searchLocationType=I&distance=25&countryCode=in&postalCode=110041http://www.linkedin.com/companies/bharat-petroleum#hq-address%23hq-addresshttp://www.linkedin.com/companyDir?searchByInd=&ind=57&degDist=net&trk=copro_industryhttp://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bharatpetroleum.com&urlhash=SCoahttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Manager&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Executive&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Dy+Manager&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Territory+Manager&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Finance+Manager&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/companies/ibmhttp://www.linkedin.com/companies/ibmhttp://www.linkedin.com/companies/reliancehttp://www.linkedin.com/companies/bpclhttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&currentCompany=currentCompany&searchLocationType=I&distance=25&countryCode=in&postalCode=110041http://www.linkedin.com/companies/bharat-petroleum#hq-address%23hq-addresshttp://www.linkedin.com/companyDir?searchByInd=&ind=57&degDist=net&trk=copro_industryhttp://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bharatpetroleum.com&urlhash=SCoahttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Manager&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Executive&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Dy+Manager&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Territory+Manager&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&title=Finance+Manager&currentCompany=currentCompany&trk=copro_titleshttp://www.linkedin.com/companies/ibmhttp://www.linkedin.com/companies/reliancehttp://www.linkedin.com/companies/bpclhttp://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Bharat+Petroleum&currentCompany=currentCompany&searchLocationType=I&distance=25&countryCode=in&postalCode=400604


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Recognising competencies and capabilities of the staff through Competency Modellingto help identify and place the right person in the right job

Identifying competency gaps and bridging such gaps through appropriate training anddevelopmental programmes

Multi-skilling to encourage employees to take up new initiatives in the areas of

Enhanced Fuel Proposition, Add-on Stores, One Stop Truck Shops, Grocery and FastFood Stores.

Bharat Petroleum has been conferred the National HRD Award - 2000 by National HRD Network for making Outstanding Contribution to HRD.

At the National Petroleum Management Programme (NPMP) on Excellence in Creativity &Innovation (1999-2000), Bharat Petroleum employees bagged all the three awards in theindividual category, along with four certificates of recognition in the team category.

Over the years, Bharat Petroleum continues to meet the challenges of the rapidly changingenvironment, leading to changes in the marketing of products and services. In all thesechanges, only one factor has remained constant and has been the source of Bharat Petroleum'sstrength and inspiration for any future innovations - Bharat Petroleum's People. The feeling of ownership has facilitated all employees to understand the complexity of the market and needsof the customers, and respond to these needs with innovative initiatives and offerings.

For Bharat Petroleum, commitment of its employees is a critical resource. Fully realising thatonly a happy employee will put his best foot forward with the customers, Bharat Petroleum hastaken many steps to make the organisation a great place to work. In a survey conducted byHewitt Associates for the January 2001 issue of Business Today magazine to identify the best

employers, Bharat Petroleum was ranked among the top ten employers in India. The objectiveof the study was to find out which companies had really charged the emotional and intellectualenergy of their employees. The other companies who were selected were Infosys, Hewlett-Packard, P&G, ICICI, Hughes, LG, HLL, Compaq and Asian Paints.

Bharat Petroleum fosters effective value-based HR processes for development of people andtheir organisational capabilities with a view to provide them with a competitive edge and alsoto realise their personal vision in tandem with the corporate vision. The thrust areas include:

Performance Management which links business goals with individual performancegoals

Recognising competencies and capabilities of the staff through Competency Modellingto help identify and place the right person in the right job Identifying competency gaps and bridging such gaps through appropriate training and

developmental programmes Multi-skilling to encourage employees to take up new initiatives in the areas of

Enhanced Fuel Proposition, Add-on Stores, One Stop Truck Shops, Grocery and FastFood Stores.

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Bharat Petroleum has been conferred the National HRD Award - 2000 by National HRD Network for making Outstanding Contribution to HRD.

At the National Petroleum Management Programme (NPMP) on Excellence in Creativity &Innovation (1999-2000), Bharat Petroleum employees bagged all the three awards in the

individual category, along with four certificates of recognition in the team category.

Technological Edge:-

Bharat Petroleum has always been on the forefrontof harnessing technology initiatives for maximisingefficiency and achieving greater customer satisfaction.

Bharat Petroleum is the first Public Sector OilCompany to implement Enterprise ResourcePlanning (ERP) solutions - SAP. The

implementation project known as ENTRANS (Enterprise wide Transformation) has beenawarded the 'SAP Star Implementation Award', with Bharat Petroleum having the distinctionof executing the largest and the most ambitious SAP project in India. The challenge of SAPimplementation was to ensure that all the integrated elements (of the complex multi-modular integrated solutions that impact the entire workflow of the organisation) work seamlesslyacross the length and breadth of the country, including the remote locations. Providing onlineconnectivity in these remote locations, given the full-fledged IT network infrastructure, was initself a daunting task.

Bharat Petroleum is reaping the benefits of the integrated system in many areas of itsoperations. The early gains of implementation are in the areas of tracking customer-receivables, monitoring credit-management, inventory management, besides easing theoperations in a large number of areas.

Furthermore, Bharat Petroleum has also set up one of the biggest 'Centres of Excellence' inAsia to provide online support to the end users and also work towards continuous improvementin business processes and handle product upgrades and new generation products.

With SAP as the IT backbone, Bharat Petroleum plans to take advantage of the Internet basedcapabilities along the entire value chain with a Customer Relationship Management solution. Alarge data warehouse project has also been implemented, which facilitates access to real-timeaccurate information on key performance indicators at all Bharat Petroleum locations. Thisenables the management to take strategic and business decisions, thus ensuring value-addedservices, better customer satisfaction and enhanced shareholder value.

The Planned Approach:-

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Increasing globalisation, new products and services, and innovative marketing have resulted ina very market savvy consumer. The production-based success philosophy of marketers has now

been replaced by a customer-oriented philosophy. Bharat Petroleum has taken cognisance of this situation well in time and has been taking radical steps to keep itself attuned to thechanging times, realising that the future belongs to those who listen and adapt to their customers.

Strategy Development:

Bharat Petroleum recognises that all strategic initiatives must conform to the overall visionofthe Corporation and improvethe economic value. The Strategy Development effort at thecorporate level achieves better focus in the new organisational structure, besides facilitating the

SBUs in developing their respective strategies that lead to an integrated Corporate Strategy. ABusiness Planning process has been put in place that not only provides opportunities for theSBUs to pursue their visionary goals in consonance with the Corporate Vision, but alsocontinuously monitors trends and identifies strategic opportunities for the Corporation.

Brand Management:

In the highly competitive scenario, it has become imperative to own dominant brands. TheBrand Management team at Bharat Petroleum endeavours to build and manage a strong brandimage reflecting Bharat Petroleum's core values of being 'INCARE', viz. INnovative, CAringand REliable. Emphasis is laid on continuously understanding customer behaviour, tracking

their changing needs and expectations, and meeting these needs in the most cost-effectivemanner.

Research & Development:

Always on the forefront to innovate, Bharat Petroleum is making distinct efforts towardsResearch & Development (R&D). Besides the R&D facilities at the Refinery and the ProductApplication Development Centre in Sewree in Mumbai, a new state-of-the-art R&D Centre is

being set up near Delhi. The R&D Centre is being organised around three core groups -Process & Technology Development, Product Application Development and Environmental

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Sharing wider responsibility:

At BPCL we believe that its equally important to return back to society. Which is why, we believe some of our finest achievements arent those found in our balance sheets but those, insmall towns and villages spread across India. Our involvement in sharing this wider responsibility dates way back to 1984, when in pursuance with our philosophy to give back tothe society/community our best, we aimed to help the people enrich their lives, be it our employees or their families also extending the scope of definition of families to those that wesaw beyond our glass cabins in these rustic surroundings, and thus started our romance. Today,we term them as our extended family i.e. our villagers from rural areas.

India, has a social contrast, while one strata of the society comprising of approximately 30%live in the cities, a great percentage of nearly double -700 million Indians reside in villages,which we term as rural India. Now rural India too has its own disparity, some are what we callthe islands of prosperity and the rest that have the other extremes, riddled by droughts andsome difficult conditions of weather and climate and sometimes these villages are so remoteand far flung from cities that many a times makes others go past unnoticed

BPCL initially started working in Mahul, the village located in our neighborhood of itsMumbai refinery since 1986, for the sole reason of their upliftment. The habitants of Mahul,essentially from the fishing community, were rich because they possessed marine wealth but asfar as education, health, etc was concerned, they needed help. BPCL volunteered and the initialsuccess brought such gratification that immediately it adopted another village (this time aninterior one) called Karjat, developments with selfless intentions helped introspect about thefuture role BPCL should adopt in its aim to contribute to this effort, then there after there wasno looking back

As a corporate responsibility, today 37 villages across India have been adopted. This includesmaking substantial investments for nearly a decade and a half in them to make them fully self reliant, providing them fresh drinking water, sanitation facilities, medical facilities, enhancingtheir income standards by imparting vocational training and agricultural innovations. However,BPCL also firmly believes that the only vehicle for raising the villagers from their present stateis by educating both the young and the old, a focus on providing grants for opening schoolsand opening adult literacy camps as well.

A Herculean task indeed, which BPCL recognized and thus even sought assistance from NGOs working around these centers in fulfilling its dream, which to many of BPCL

employees still remains incomplete, on account of the large magnitude of work necessary incompletion.

Counseling:

Initially counseling began in BPCL to overcome the different problems of employees at work.But now, we have come closer to their lives. Thus now counseling does not only aim at solvingdisputes at work but involves a whole gamut of issues ranging from employees overall

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development to the development of their families. Thus there is a shift from what used to existearlier as our orientation is towards prevention. Over the time, recoveries and success storiesstarted flowing in resulting in values of counseling being upheld as an important contributionfor employees well being. Thus at the refinery counseling is seen as a mission which aims atmaking people live lives fruitfully. The help received through counseling is what is valued by

most of our employees. As a continuation to individual help, We feel proud to say that we areone of very few companies who regularly visit employees at their plant. This helps us tounderstand employees better and plan intervention. Accordingly. Plant talks have made a

positive effect in the minds of the employees as they get an idea that the company is reallyinterested in their issues

Addiction-The slow poison

Alcohol and drug use is extremely common in todays world. In spite of the awareness of theill effects of these substances, people continue to get addicted to it. The abuse and addictionsresult in malfunctioning of an individual in major spheres of life. Addictions lead to poor work

performances, disrupted relationships and adjustment problems. The rising awareness aboutemployee welfare and raising the quality of work, various companies today make efforts toreduce addictions .

Our success strength of Sobriety

Although difficult to believe, the success ratio is 60% at the refinery level, whereas theaddiction improvement rate worldwide is 45.50%. Through counseling employees whorecovered from alcohol addiction and the other personal problems became our biggeststrength for extending our chain of human help. These peer educators are very efficient atwork and they they aid our CSR activity by being of help to the other addict employees andthe community too.

Family Wellbeing :

Through all the Employee assistance programs, prominence is given to family as a system. It isa known fact that family is one of the most closely knit system which needs to be enriched tocope with the stresses and strain of life. Thus when an employee comes with a problem, jointcounseling sessions are also conducted including his family members to ensure resolving of

problems amicably .

Grooming Children As Caretakers Of Next Generation

Children are tomorrows future, and when it comes to our own employees children, We ensuretheir development through various activities like Career guidance, aptitude tests, etc

Parenting

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During training or workshops, one of the main topics covered is parenting. This isimportant because in todays competitive world it is very difficult to manage both work andhouse Thus to ensure care of children, parenting sessions are conducted about emotional

problems and problems encountered by children at different stages, puberty issues, etc.

Women Empowerment In women lie natures best qualities of motherhood, compassion, humanity and love. Becausethey have been blessed with the capacity for giving and nurturing life, women also have thecapacity for a deep commitment for preserving and nourishing not only their own offspring,

but of the entire planet as well. BPCL is also blessed with efficient women staff who areenthusiastic and who come forward to help others. Women power in the true sense is seenwhen women meet regularly and discuss on varied issues and the stands they take. LIKEWOMAN IS WOMANS BEST FRIEND. It is normally said that a woman is a womans worstenemy. But at the refinery, the bond within the women is exceptionally charged with making adifference to their personal as well as work life.

Safety Ambassadors

This is a new activity being started at the refinery. Some of women employees are made safetyambassadors to ensure safety in the plant. These women would co-ordinate with the safetyobservers at the plant level and ensure that their co-employees take adequate safety measures.It is process to help the employees help themselves for their own safety and that of the others.

Our Success Mantra- What Is It That Actually Worked?

Bringing people together for a common cause:We were able to bring people together for a common cause, the cause being wellbeing of all.We were blessed with committed staff who also took the initiative to work for their own good.Employees also sustained their enthusiasm and motivation throughout which added to our strength.

Non-biased attitude :

May it be a worker or an engineer or a driver or any administration staff, we give equaltreatment to all. Never do employees feel that some are favoured and others are not.

Trust:Employees do have the trust in whatever the department does. The department hashelped them help themselves in such a way that it has left a long lasting effect on their

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minds. This trust made it obvious for them to keep participating actively in all theactivities.

Transparency:The department has been totally transparent regarding all its activities. Employees weremade equal partners in conducting any activity. Because of this there was no point

where employees felt left out.

Need based activities:

We at BPCL have never arranged activities for the sake of doing it. We have conductedactivities as and when people demanded, may it be our own employees or people from thecommunities. Thus we have indirectly given onus to the people to decide when, why and whichactivity they need.

Involvement of all:

We have been successful in involving people of all cadres at the refinery level, right from themanagers to the workers, and from the various departments to the different unions. This helpedus to get the opinions and contributions of all. At the community level, all the people areinvolved right from the planning level. People take decisions along with us.

Human stories of revival helped:

We had many success stories of our employees which constantly motivated us to work consistently. The recovered addicts are our strength. They help us to help the others who are insimilar problem.

The hands of social welfare have touched the lives of many, including the beneficiaries, theemployees, families of employees, the management, families of management staff, etc. due tothis strength of people, it gave rise to a snowball effect, year after year the department starteddoing better than early and even today its work has been recognized and appreciated.Leveraging Indias title for the second largest oil major, we are making every effort spent insocial commitment count for that much more BPCL believes in sustainable efforts and notsporadic attempts at community development. It goes beyond charity to capacity building. Thisis reflected from the change in the lives of people whom we have touched through our various

programs and activities. Corporate commitment is the beacon that guides our communitydevelopment activities. Through various interventions in community development, we strivetowards reinforcing the brand image of Energizing livesBPCL AND ITS CHALLENGES

The year 2006-2007 has been an exceptional year and the Company has delivered outstandingresults on all fronts. For the first time in its history, BPC's sales turnover has crossed theRs.1,000 billion mark ! BPC has also achieved the highest ever levels of quantity of crude oil

processed at its refineries in Mumbai and Kochi and market sales volume. Consequently, BPC

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has achieved its highest ever profit during the year. The year also marked the formalintegration of operations and systems of the erstwhile Kochi Refineries Limited (KRL),consequent to its merger with BPC.

Due to its impressive performance, BPC has moved up in the 'Fortune Global 500' list with aranking of 325 and currently, BPC occupies the third position amongst the 6 Indian companieswho have made it to the list. Further, the BPC brand continues to occupy its pre-eminent

position in the market and the London based brand valuation firm, Brand Finance has placed itin the 7th position amongst India's 50 Most Valuable Brands. BPC continues to be amongst thecompanies featured in the latest rankings of Platts Top 250 Global Energy Companies.

The Indian economy is passing through an exciting phase with GDP growth being sustained at9% levels. At the same time, the challenges are enormous. High levels of crude oil prices in theinternational markets and inability of the oil companies to pass on the burden of rising pricesremain key risks for the oil sector. With India getting integrated with the global economy,

developments around the world are bound to have an impact on the country. There is anincreasing focus on areas like climate change and global warming, which has led to growing pressure on businesses to take responsibility for controlling carbon dioxide emissions.

BPC's plans dealing with challenges:

The World Oil Scene

The rising oil prices in the international markets continue to remain a cause for concern.

Although there were signs during the year gone by, that the prices may ease, it was not long before they resumed their upward movement. In the recent past, prices have firmed up further and have touched levels of around USD 79 per barrel. For a country like India, which importsover 75% of its crude requirements, the implications are quite serious. The rising rupee has, tosome extent, mitigated the impact of the high crude oil prices.

Geopolitical factors have been a major reason for the continuing volatility in the internationalmarkets. Adverse weather conditions like storms and hurricanes have also contributed to thesituation. All signs seem to indicate that the era of high oil prices will continue into theforeseeable future. Higher levels of investments are being made in the upstream sector. Withincreasing levels of activity in this area, exploration costs have gone up significantly. Greater

attention is being paid to alternatives to the traditional fossil fuels.

The Domestic Economic Scenario

The growth of GDP has continued in the current year also. India remains an attractivedestination for foreign investment and the stock markets are witnessing a sustained bullrun. The foreign exchange reserves have touched record levels. Although there are someareas of concern, the growth momentum is expected to be sustained in the coming days.

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Implications for the Indian Energy Sector

With the Indian economy on a strong growth trajectory, the Indian energy sector has thechallenge of ensuring that the growth of the economy is not hampered on account of supplyconstraints. As the economy matures, the usage of energy will increase, thereby leading to

greater demand for energy. With oil and gas having a major share in the country's energy basket, oil companies need to be ready to meet the growing demand. Besides, with emissionnorms becoming more stringent, existing refiners will need to upgrade their facilities. This willcall for significant amount of investments in the areas of exploration & production andaugmenting refining, storage and distribution infrastructure. If these investments are tomaterialize, it is very essential to ensure the robust financial health of the oil companies.

The year 2006-07 continued to be a challenging year for the downstream oil marketingcompanies in the country. During the period when the international prices had shown signs of easing, the Government of India had approved the reduction of the retail selling prices of Petroland Diesel on two separate occasions. The rising crude oil prices, coupled with the inability to

pass on the burden of the same to the final consumer, are severely restricting the ability of theoil marketing companies to generate sufficient resources from their operations. The sale of petroleum products at prices below cost has exerted pressure on operating cash flows. Giventhe strategic nature of the oil industry and the fact that the continuing growth of the economy isgreatly dependent on the energy supplied by oil companies, there is a need to address the

problem at the earliest. The Government has been trying its best to balance the interests of allthe stakeholders to ensure that the burden gets distributed equitably.

Major Projects and Initiatives

Central India Refinery Project

The implementation of the project for setting up of a 6 MMTPA refinery at Bina in MadhyaPradesh is progressing smoothly. Bharat Oman Refineries Limited, the joint venture vehicleimplementing the project, has assumed a challenging target of December 2009 for mechanicalcompletion of the refinery. The cumulative commitments made on the project have crossed theRs.70 billion mark and the overall progress achieved by the end of August 2007 is 26%. Ordersfor most of the critical and long lead items have been placed. While the debt portion of the

project cost of Rs.103.78 billion amounting to Rs. 63.87 billion has already been tied up, work has been initiated for closing the equity portion. BPC has recently signed the product offtakeagreement in respect of the production from this refinery.

In addition, work has also commenced on setting up the related marketing facilities toensure evacuation of the products from the refinery. A despatch terminal is being set up atBina with appropriate storage, distribution and other infrastructural facilities, adjacent tothe refinery complex at a cost of Rs.4.91 billion. BPC is also planning to lay a 265 km long

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product pipeline to facilitate the evacuation of products from the new refinery at a cost of Rs.4.06 billion. The pipeline is planned to be laid from Bina to Kota, where it will beconnected to the existing Mumbai-Delhi pipeline.

Capacity Expansion-cum-Modernisation Project at Kochi Refinery

Work is currently underway on the second phase of the project, which is designed to enable therefinery to produce auto fuels conforming to Euro III norms, besides enhancing the refiningcapacity from the present level of 7.5 MMTPA to 9.5 MMTPA at a total cost of Rs.25.92

billion.

Crude Oil Receipt Facilities at Kochi Refinery

This project envisages setting up of crude oil receipt facilities, including Single Buoy Mooring

at Kochi, to facilitate transportation of crude oil in very large crude carriers and involves acapital outlay of Rs.8.21 billion. The project has achieved 95% physical progress and isscheduled for mechanical completion by November 2007.

Exploration and Production of Crude Oil and Gas

BPC has moved forward in its quest to have a significant presence in the upstream explorationand production sector. BPC's plans in this sector are being implemented by its wholly ownedsubsidiary company viz. Bharat PetroResources Limited, which was incorporated in October 2006 with an authorized share capital of Rs.10 billion. BPC has joined hands with key playersin this sector to take its plans forward. Towards this end, Memorandums of Understanding

(MOUs) have been signed with Brazil's national oil company, Petrobras, Norwest Energy of Australia and Videocon Industries Limited for cooperation in the upstream sector. Besides bidding for exploration blocks, BPC has been looking at opportunities for farming into existing blocks. The efforts put in over the last couple of years have resulted in BPC having a participating interest in 14 blocks. Of this, 9 blocks are situated within India and the others arelocated in the North Sea, in the United Kingdom, Oman, Australia and Timor.

BPC has recently received the approval of the Government of India for the acquisition of a2.5% stake in the equity of Oil India Limited. In addition, BPC along with Videocon IndustriesLimited, has reached an agreement to acquire all the shares of EnCana Brasil PetroleoLimitada, a Brazilian company, subject to receipt of necessary approvals. EnCana Brasil has

interests in 10 offshore exploration blocks in Brazil.

Climate Change & Non-Conventional Energy Initiatives

BPC has recognized that climate change is a serious issue that needs immediate attention.Extreme climate changes have the potential of disrupting business operations leading to severe

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consequences. With a view to tackle climate change, BPC has laid stress on setting up greenfuel terminals and stations, laying cross country pipelines, developing renewable energysources and focusing on Research & Development for alternate fuels.Besides implementing the Government of India's directives of marketing 5% Ethanol BlendedPetrol, BPC is looking at ethanol investment opportunities in Brazil on behalf of the public

sector oil companies. BPC has been nominated as the representative of the Government of India at the International Biofuels Forum which was recently launched at the United Nationsheadquarters in New York.

An MOU was signed on 30th August, 2007 with Petrobras of Brazil, providing for cooperationin the areas related to production, logistics, trading and R&D related to biofuels includingethanol. An action plan has also been finalized for jointly studying some greenfield ethanolinvestment projects in Brazil.

Further, BPC has been investing in renewable sources of energy like solar, hydrogen fuel celland windmill power generators. BPC is also in discussions with a number of players in the

biodiesel field for starting a venture covering the entire biodiesel value chain.

Corporate Governance

Aiming to be a model corporate citizen, BPC has been complying with the variousrequirements designed to promote better corporate governance. A comprehensive corporategovernance policy framework is being implemented with effective reporting systems ensuringsmooth business operations.

BPCL Looking Ahead

The coming years bring tremendous challenges and offer immense opportunities. The Indianeconomy is on a fast growth track and would need the full support of the energy sector to meet

burgeoning expectations. With the impending competition, the response time available will get

drastically reduced. BPC needs to be equipped to move with speed and agility. Although thechallenges are many, we believe that BPC is well placed to deliver value to all its stakeholdersin this competitive environment.

BPC has, over the years, invested time and effort in building up a strong infrastructure andinformation system capabilities. With the dedicated team of people at all levels, I am confidentthat BPC will be able to continue to deliver outstanding results in the days to come. Your

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continued support would further strengthen our hands as we set out to scale new heights of performance.

BHARAT PETROLEUM CHOOSES SAP SOLUTIONMANAGER TO ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT ITSCUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER

Bharat Petroleum, the $9.5 billion petroleum refining and marketingcompany, was the first public-sector oil company in India to implementSAP R/3 cross-industry solutions, along with software from the SAP forOil & Gas portfolio. The company chose SAP Solution Manager, whichoffers all the tools, content, and methodologies a company needs toimplement and optimize its SAP solutions. With enhanced user knowledge,employees have become more efficient and professional which has helped

increase Bharats competitive edge.

Based in Mumbai, Bharat Petroleum was the first public-sector oil company in India toimplement enterprise-wide resource-planning solutions, along with software from the SAP for Oil & Gas portfolio. Whats more, the implementation project claimed the further distinction of

being the largest and most ambitious SAP project in India.

CUSTOMER-FOCUSED REORGANIZATION

As a leader in many of its markets, Bharat Petroleum faced price deregulation and stiff competition from several players, two of them being government-owned firms. Anticipatingthese developments well in advance, BPCL embarked on a restructuring

Knowledge development, and not justissue resolution, was the key driver forimplementing SAP Solution Manager inBPCL.Shrikant Gathoo, General Manager for Enterprise-wideTransformation, Bharat

program that culminated in the formation of a more customer-focused organization. Werealized that success can only come with a total reorientation and change in approach, withcustomers as the focal point, says Gathoo. Increasing globalization, new products and

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services, and innovative marketing have resulted in very market- savvy consumers. BharatPetroleum has taken radical steps to keep itself attuned to the changing times, realizing that thefuture belongs to those who listen and adapt to their customers. The change in strategyunderscored the companys need for a highly reliable, versatile, integrated solution. At thattime, BPLC operated disparate legacy systems, which resulted in isolated islands of data.

Simply put, the software could not keep pace with the companys growth. The transactionvolumes have grown manifold from a few thousand in the early 90s, says Gathoo.

FIVE AREAS OF FOCUSThe competency center was comprised of five teams that focused on process, configuration anddevelopment, user authorization, master data exchange, and training and change management.As the single point of contact for the entire organization, the process team supported existing

processes, dealt with changes, and identified and implemented process improvements andcontrols. The configuration and development team had overall control of the SAP system; it

maintained existing developments and configurations, and handled changes and improvements,transport controls, hot-pack upgrades, SAPs online support follow-up service,

Our objective is to enable the spreadof knowledge using SAP SolutionManager as a self-service tool, so userscan find solutions to repetitive or typicalproblems. . . . [SAP Solution Manager]has certainly made us more competitive.Shrikant Gathoo, General Manager for Enterprise-wide

Transformation, Bharat

performance tuning, optimization, and all product-related issues. The authorization team wasresponsible for creating authorization profiles for the various roles. The fourth team heldresponsibility for updating the various master data. This team worked on mutually negotiated(with the businesses) time lines for updating data. The training and change-management team

became deeply involved in the maintenance of skills and competencies within the competencycenter as well as the user community within theorganization. The change management team focused on building total reliability of the system.

Overall, BPCL has experienced great success with SAP Solution Manager. And as a result, thecompany made plans to implement SAP Solution Manager at every BPCL unit by the end of 2002. Bharat Petroleum also reaped the benefits of the integrated system in many areas of itsoperations, for example, tracking customer receivables and monitoring credit and inventorymanagement. And, aside from implementing upgrades of SAP Solution Manager, BPCL wantsto use other features of the software. Our objective is to enable the spread of knowledge usingSAP Solution Manager as a self-service tool, so users can find solutions to repetitive or typical

problems, says Gatho.

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STRESS MANAGEMENT

ABOUT STRESS:

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The word 'stress ' is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy". A condition or circumstance (not always adverse), which candisturb the normal physical and mental health of an individual. In medical parlance 'stress' isdefined as a perturbation of the body's homeostasis. This demand on mind-body occurs when it

tries to cope with incessant changes in life. A 'stress' condition seems 'relative' in nature.Extreme stress conditions, psychologists say, are detrimental to human health but inmoderation stress is normal and, in many cases, proves useful. Stress, nonetheless, issynonymous with negative conditions. Today, with the rapid diversification of human activity,we come face to face with numerous causes of stress and the symptoms of stress anddepression .

At one point or the other everybody suffers from stress. Relationship demands, physical as wellas mental health problems, pressure at workplaces, traffic snarls, meeting deadlines, growing-up tensionsall of these conditions and situations are valid causes of stress. People have their own methods of stress management. In some people, stress-induced adverse feelings and

anxieties tend to persist and intensify. Learning to understand and master stress managementtechniques can help prevent the counter effects of this urban malaise.

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain alwayscool and unruffled under all circumstances ."

Thomas Jefferson

In a challenging situation the brain prepares the body for defensive actionthe fight or flightresponse by releasing stress hormones, namely, cortisone and adrenaline. These hormones raisethe blood pressure and the body prepares to react to the situation. With a concrete defensiveaction (fight response) the stress hormones in the blood get used up, entailing reduced stresseffects and symptoms of anxiety.

When we fail to counter a stress situation (flight response) the hormones and chemicals remainunreleased in the blood stream for a long period of time. It results in stress related physicalsymptoms such as tense muscles, unfocused anxiety, dizziness and rapid heartbeats. We allencounter various stressors (causes of stress) in everyday life, which can accumulate, if notreleased. Subsequently, it compels the mind and body to be in an almost constant alarm-state in

preparation to fight or flee. This state of accumulated stress can increase the risk of both acuteand chronic psychosomatic illnesses and weaken the immune system of the human body .

WHAT STRESS CAN CAUSE:

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Stress can cause headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, eating disorder, allergies, insomnia, backaches, frequent cold and fatigue to diseases such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, heartailments and even cancer. In fact, Sanjay Chugh, a leading Indian psychologist, says that 70

per cent to 90 per cent of adults visit primary care physicians for stress-related problems. Scaryenough. But where do we err?

Just about everybodymen, women, children and even fetusessuffer from stress.Relationship demands, chronic health problems, pressure at workplaces, traffic snarls, meetingdeadlines, growing-up tensions or a sudden bearish trend in the bourse can trigger stressconditions. People react to it in their own ways. In some people, stress-induced adversefeelings and anxieties tend to persist and intensify. Learning to understand and manage stresscan prevent the counter effects of stress.

Methods of coping with stress are aplenty. The most significant or sensible way out is a changein lifestyle. Relaxation techniques such as meditation , physical exercises, listening to soothingmusic , deep breathing, various natural and alternative methods, personal growth techniques,

visualization and massage are some of the most effective of the known non-invasive stress busters.

The words 'positive' and 'stress' may not often go together. But, there are innumerable instancesof athletes rising to the challenge of stress and achieving the unachievable, scientists stressing

themselves out over a point to bring into light the most unthinkable secrets of the phenomenalworld, and likewise a painter, a composer or a writer producing the best paintings, the mostlilting of tunes or the most appealing piece of writing by pushing themselves to the limit.Psychologists second the opinion that some 'stress' situations can actually boost our inner

potential and can be creatively helpful. Sudha Chandran, an Indian danseus, lost both of her legs in an accident. But, the physical and social inadequacies gave her more impetus to carryon with her dance performances with the help of prosthetic legs rather than deter her spirits.

Experts tell us that stress, in moderate doses, are necessary in our life. Stress responses are oneof our body's best defense systems against outer and inner dangers. In a risky situation (in caseof accidents or a sudden attack on life et al), body releases stress hormones that instantly make

us more alert and our senses become more focused. The body is also prepared to act withincreased strength and speed in a pressure situation. It is supposed to keep us sharp and readyfor action.

Research suggests that stress can actually increase our performance. Instead of wilting under stress, one can use it as an impetus to achieve success. Stress can stimulate one's faculties todelve deep into and discover one's true potential. Under stress the brain is emotionally and

biochemical stimulated to sharpen its performance.

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Stress has existed throughout the evolution. About 4 billion years ago, violent collision of rock and ice along with dust and gas, led to the formation of a new planet. The planet survive morethan 100 million years of meltdown to give birth to microscopic life . These first organismsendured the harshest of conditionslack of oxygen, exposure to sun's UV rays and other inhospitable elements, to hang on to their dear life. Roughly 300,000 years ago, the

Neanderthals learnt to use fire in a controlled way, to survive the Glacial Age. And around30,000 years, Homo sapiens with their dominant gene constitutions and better coping skills,won the game of survival. Each step of evolution a test of survival, and survival, a matter of coping with the stress of changing conditions.

Millions of trials and errors in the life process have brought men to this stage. Coping withevents to survive has led men to invent extraordinary technologies, beginning with a piece of sharpened stone.

The moral remains that we can work a stress condition to our advantage or protect ourselvesfrom its untoward follow-throughs subject to how we handle a stress situation. The choice is

between becoming a slave to the stressful situations of life or using them to our advantage.

EAT RIGHT TO BEAT STRESS

By Sunita Pant Bansal

Stress affects your body's ability to handle various kinds of foods because itcauses a sudden constriction of your blood vessels. This raises blood

pressure and reduces the amount of blood flowing to the stomach andintestines. The flow of enzymes is slowed as well so that much of the foodyou eat, particularly if it has a high fat content, is poorly digested. Instead of

being broken down properly, it ferments in the intestine, causing gas anddistention.

Another thing that happens right away in a stress reaction is a hormonal alert that your blood needs moreglucose. In other words, you feel hungry all the time. This may prompt you to eat a lot of carbohydrates, either inthe form of sugar or starch. The reaction is an appropriate one if you are facing strenuous physical exertion, but itgives you only surplus calories if the stress is psychological.

There are some helpful pointers you can follow for an anti-stress diet:

Cut down on table salt and other sources of sodium because of their link with high blood pressure. Remember that preservatives may also contain sodium.

Drink only moderate amounts of coffee and tea and remember that caffeine is present in both. Caffeine,nicotine and alcohol are stress-stimulants.

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You should have eight big glasses of fluids every day. This helps to flush waste products out of the body.

Eat foods rich in potassium, like oranges and bananas. Potassium is essential for maintaining the balance of minerals within body fluids and plays a key role in muscle contraction.

Be sure to get enough calcium, as you tend to lose it when you are stressed. Try to have at least two glasses of skimmed milk a day.

Vitamin C is important as it keeps the walls of the capillaries flexible. The blood vessels constrict at the firstsign of stress, and this results in the depletion of vitamin C in the body.

Vitamin B serves as a catalyst in the production of energy, and in the metabolism of protein and fats. It is alsonecessary for the central nervous system. In conditions of stress (especially physical), supplements are advisable.Increase the intake of green leafy vegetables, eggs, milk, whole grains and yeast.

Nitrogen, the base of the body's protein, is excreted under stress. So protein intake should be increased by 10 per cent during a period of stress.

Five small meals are easier on the digestive system than three big ones. The additional small meals can take theform of afternoon or bedtime snacks.

Try and include apples (skin intact), apricots, bananas, French beans, cabbage, cauliflower, cherries corn, grapefruit, lemon, lettuce, melons, mushrooms, ladies fingers, oranges, peaches, pears, peas, pineapples, plums,

potatoes, rice and tomatoes in your diet. They are high potassium and low sodium foods.

E

Models of stress management

BE Transactional model

Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman suggested in 1984 that stress can be thought of asresulting from an "imbalance between demands and resources" or as occurring when "pressureexceeds one's perceived ability to cope". Stress management was developed and premised onthe idea that stress is not a direct response to a stressor but rather one's resources and ability tocope mediate the stress response and are amenable to change, thus allowing stress to becontrollable.

In order to develop an effective stress management programme it is first necessary to identifythe factors that are central to a person controlling his/her stress, and to identify the interventionmethods which effectively target these factors. Lazarus and Folkman's interpretation of stressfocuses on the transaction between people and their external environment (known as theTransactional Model). The model conceptualizes stress as a result of how a stressor isappraised and how a person appraises his/her resources to cope with the stressor. The model

breaks the stressor-stress link by proposing that if stressors are perceived as positive or

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challenging rather than a threat, and if the stressed person is confident that he/she possessesadequate rather than deficient coping strategies, stress may not necessarily follow the presenceof a potential stressor. The model proposes that stress can be reduced by helping stressed

people change their perceptions of stressors, providing them with strategies to help them copeand improving their confidence in their ability to do so.

Health realization/innate health model

The health realization/innate health model of stress is also founded on the idea that stress doesnot necessarily follow the presence of a potential stressor. Instead of focusing on theindividual's appraisal of so-called stressors in relation to his or her own coping skills (as thetransactional model does), the health realization model focuses on the nature of thought, statingthat it is ultimately a person's thought processes that determine the response to potentiallystressful external circumstances. In this model, stress results from appraising oneself and one'scircumstances through a mental filter of insecurity and negativity, whereas a feeling of well-

being results from approaching the world with a "quiet mind," "inner wisdom," and "common

sense".

This model proposes that helping stressed individuals understand thenature of thought--especially providing them with the ability torecognize when they are in the grip of insecure thinking, disengage fromit, and access natural positive feelings--will reduce their stress.

Techniques of stress management

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There are several ways of coping with stress. Some techniques of time management may help a person to control stress. In the face of high demands, effective stress management involveslearning to set limits and to say "No" to some demands that others make. The followingtechniques have been recently dubbed "Destressitizers" by The Journal of the CanadianMedical Association. A destressitizer is any process by which an individual can relieve stress.

Techniques of stress management will vary according to the theoretical paradigm adhered to, but may include some of the following:

Autogenic training Cognitive therapy Conflict resolution Exercise Getting a hobby Meditation Deep breathing Nootropic

Relaxation techniques Artistic Expression Fractional relaxation Progressive relaxation Spa Stress balls Natural medicine Clinically validated alternative treatments Time management

Measuring stress

Levels of stress can be measured. One way is through the use of the Holmes and Rahe StressScale to rate stressful life events. Changes in blood pressure and galvanic skin response canalso be measured to test stress levels, and changes in stress levels. A digital thermometer can

be used to evaluate changes in skin temperature, which can indicate activation of the fight or flight response drawing blood away from the extremities.

Stress management has physiological and immune benefit effects.

Effectiveness of stress management

Positive outcomes are observed using a combination of non-drug interventions:

treatment of anger or hostility , autogenic training talking therapy (around relationship or existential issues) biofeedback cognitive therapy for anxiety or clinical depression

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Stress at work

Stress at work is so common that almost anyone who is employed is affected by workplace

stress. Stress at work happens when an employee has to meet several demands and he is unableto meet those demands due to his personal constraints or unrealistic nature of demands. Insimple words, when the demands of the job do not match with an individual's delivery system,then he or she has to suffer from stress.

The consequences of workplace stress are the same as of any other stress. They result innegativity on both physical and emotional planes. Every individual has different capacity andresources to combat stress. Therefore the response to pressures at workplace also varies fromindividual to individual depending on their internal stress-handling systems.

What causes work-related stress

Work stress can result from a variety of situations. Here are examples of some commonsituations that can give rise to stress at work:

Heavy workload can make a worker feel that too much of work is being passed on tohim. This will make him hold grudges against his managers and co-workers. H will feelthat he is exploited.

When less work is assigned to him may make him feel unimportant and his role maynot be meaningful to the organization. In this case, the worker may keep working inconstant fear.

Work shift timings may not agree with the worker's biological system, social lifestyle,or family commitments.

Having many supervisors/managers in the same department can generate conflicts. Thisultimately leaves the worker confused.

Economic conditions, such as the outsourcing of call centers to other countries, canmake the worker insecure.

Status quo at the workplace for several months may make the worker feel that theorganization is going nowhere and he will be stuck in the same position and that he hasno scope for advancing up the corporate ladder.

Interpersonal relationships with managers or colleagues can cause a negative impact tothe worker.

A worker may be sensitive to the weather conditions. Even such external factorscan cause stress to the worker as he goes about doing his job.

Physical or psychological ailments can also make a worker's performance below lead tostress. TO

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Symptoms and effects of workplace stress

Symptoms and effects of workplace stress may be the following:

Physical:

Headaches, shortness of breath, increased metabolic rate, high blood pressure, indigestion,constipation, fatigue, increased cholesterol, increased stomach acids, stomach ulcers, etc arethe symptoms of physical stress

Psychological:

Anxiety, feeling of helplessness, irritability, depression, lack of concentration, mood swings,extreme sensitivity, etc. are the symptoms of psychological stress .

Behavioral:

Appetite loss, procrastinating attitude, impatience, increased smoking, alcoholism,absenteeism, poor personal hygiene, problems in interpersonal relations with coworkers andmanagers and similar drawbacks fall under this category.

Stress management at workplace

Workers contribute directly to the productivity of a company and in order to be productive theyshould not be stressed. Chances are that a stressed worker will contribute negatively to acompany's productivity and a group of stressed workers can result in erosion of profit margins.

Hence, stress management at workplace assumes a significant role.

A company's management should have advance plans and strategies to help its employeesmanage stress. One of the biggest causes of workplace stress is the job itself. The managementshould make sure to reconcile the job profile with the employee's profile. Job rotation,matching with the worker's physical and emotional capacity and resources will go a long wayin reducing stress.

Stress management tips

Management and employees should build a mechanism to bust stress effectively. Here aresome tips that will help:

The workplace should not be noisy. The job design should place reasonable responsibilities on the worker's. The job should

not be over-demanding and vice versa. The worker should be entrusted with a variety of works so that he does not feel bored.

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The worker should be entrusted with some form of decision-making because that willmake him feel that he is playing a significant role in the organization.

The job should have potential for growth. A scheme for productivity awards or incentives should be in place to motivate the

workers.

Tips for workers

Before approaching a task, the worker should plan the flow of work and organizehimself before starting the actual work.

Laughter is said to be the best medicine. Workers should try to see the humor elementin any situation and laugh it off rather than allowing an unpleasant situation to get to

them. When a worker feels stressed he should try out some deep-breathing exercises. Workers should keep themselves fit. A fit body leads to an agile mind that can easily

cope with stress. Sharing a stressful situation with friends can help to ease the stress. An unbalanced diet causes health problems that may percolate to the workplace. Intake

of vitamins and minerals will also help. Take stress head-on and don't allow it to get to you. Analyze the situation that is

causing stress and try to find solutions.

STRESS RELATED TO :

Stress is related to mind.Meditation deals directly with mind.Currently, we are using only 10% of whole mind.

Mind : 10%--Conscious Mind ( we use this when we are awake)remaining 90% -- Unconscious Mind

Conscious Mind: We use it when are awake in day time.It is only apart of the whole mind.Unconscious Mind: The main behaviour of a person is determined by this mind.It never sleeps and is active all the time.A person's response to a particular situation is determined

by his/her behaviour.This "behaviour pattern" is stored in this mind.So stress is theoutcome of unwholesome reaction to a situation.

So then how should a person react to situation to avoid stress?

Since "Stress" is ultimately related to behaviour response to a situation.Different type of situation will come in life ( some bad some good).Meditation helps a person in training this portion of mind and releases past behaviour

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pattern stored there.Once the behaviour is relesed from unconscious,person has veryequanimous response to the same old situation.He lives a much healthy life.

Meditation is actually a science . It is the practical technique where psychology turns to an

exact science.A very vigrous research is done in US universities regarding this science.VIPASSANA is one such meditation.It is the essence of all meditation techniques existingin the world.

Stress at Work - The Legal Implications: by Peter Matthews

According to the Health & Safety Executive in its report, 'Mental Health and Stress in theWorkplace: a Guide for Employers', published in 1996, it was estimated that 360 million

working days were lost annually in the United Kingdom at a cost of 8 billion, and that half of these absences were stress-related. More recently, the pilot results of a national survey intostress at work, originally launched in 1997 by the University of Bristol on behalf of the Health& Safety Executive, reveal that every day of the week 270,000 people are absent from work with a stress-related illness.

In an earlier report, 'Stress at Work: a Guide for Employers', published in 1995, the Health &Safety Executive stated, "Following this guidance is not compulsory and you are free to takeother action. But, if you do follow this guidance you will normally be doing enough to complywith the law". Three years later, however, in 'Help on Work-Related Stress; a Short Guide',

published in 1998, the Health & Safety Executive stated, "It is your duty in law to make sure

that your employees are not made ill by their work. And stress can make your employees ill.Employers who do not take stress seriously leave themselves open to compensation claimsfrom employees who have suffered ill health from work-related stress".

Moreover, in a recent discussion document, 'Managing Stress at Work', published in 1999,there is a strong indication that, if such advice is not followed by employers on a voluntary

basis, then the Health & Safety Executive may introduce a statutory 'Approved Code of Practice' which would make employers liable to a criminal prosecution.

The case of Walker v Northumberland County Council in 1995, the first case in legal historywhere an employee was awarded damages for 'psychiatric injury' suffered a result of work

related stress, brought home to employers the possibility of a civil action against them by their employees. This case, as will be seen below, emphasized the need for employers to conduct arisk assessment of the level of stress in their workplace and to have in place a stressmanagement policy and a stress management programme. Such stress assessments, policiesand programmes seek to examine the causes and symptoms of stress, and to provide ways of

preventing and managing stress in the workplace, to the benefit of employer and employeealike. It is the aim of this paper to discuss the legal implications for employers of failing to

prevent and manage stress in the workplace.

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FINDINGS

1. Feel stress while working

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39 employees out of 50 feel stress while working while 11 says No.

2. The maximum employees responded that they are not able to concentrate onwork and take decision properly.

3. Stress is strictly a psychological issues ?

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32 employees feels stress is a psychological issue but 18 do not.

4. Common cause of stress.

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Most of the employees responded to work load but 9 employees for work environment, 7for conflict and 5 for salary.

5. Executives and management experience same stress as employers andworkers.

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The questions was asked to 50 employees and some of the executives. Employees respondedthat they feel more stressed but executives also say that they feel because they have to takedecision.

6. Favorite stress management tools.

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Out of 50 employees, 23 employees are having meditation favorite management tool, 14 for yoga , 5 for exercise, 4 for music and positive affirmations.

7. Career related stress.

Employees feel that lack of clear cut plan for career development is more career related thanno promotion.

8. Job related stress.

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Most of the employees feel that lack of recognition is job related stress than too much of work and performing behind experience.

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ANALYSIS

High level of workplace stress are likely to result in high levels of employees turnover.

Employees who are under stress makes poor decisions.

Workplace relations and customer service may deteriorate.

Productivity will be less due to stress.

Ineffective management can also put employees under serious stress.

Behaviour which is bullying or aggressive from whatever source will certainly causeemployee stress.

Employees who do not know what is happening to them or the company cannot work effectively.

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SUGGESTIONS

1) Employees should be given sufficient resources (time, suitable training) to cope with their work load.

2) The physical and psychosocial environment should be looked at for potential problem areassuch as excessive noise or the threat of aggressive behavior.

3) Give workers as much control over their jobs and work life as possible.

4) Help employees to develop an emotional support system.

5) The job should be reasonably demanding and provide the employees without at leastminimum variety in job tasks.

6) Employers should be aware of signs and symptoms that a person may be having troublecoping with stress.

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CONCLUSION

There are several issues such as transparency in policies and procedures, positive work environment, openness to ideas and suggestions, professionals approach, growth opportunities,recognition and appreciation which motivate people to join and stay with the organization. Atthe same time working for such an organization turns out to be a challenging job. Sinceemployees are expected to strengthen reputation by hard work and by achieving targets.For less skilled and low level employers extrinsic factors of job, such as job security, pay

benefits, flexible rules and more sympathetic understanding by supervision are most importantwhile for skilled and high level employees, intrinsic factors such as responsibility, prestige,status etc are more important.People like to be consulted and to be given an opportunity to offer suggestion. When their suggestions are given due weight age and incorporated in the functioning of the organization,they feel motivated to put their maximum efforts for getting things done coming out of suggestions. Meditation and yoga are being practiced by more .

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(b)Lack of clear cut plan for career development

Q8. What are the job related stress?(a)Too much work (b)Having to perform beyond your experience and perceived abilities

(c)Lack of recognition.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Websiteswww.google.comwww.yahoo.comwww.masterinfoindia.com

2. Books Robbins P. Stephens , organizational behaviour, prentice hall, 7 th edition, chapter 16, pages 636-641.L. M. Prasad , organizational behaviour, 4 th edition, chapter 22, pages 556-563.
http://www.google.com/http://www.yahoo.com/http://www.masterinfoindia.com/http://www.google.com/http://www.yahoo.com/http://www.masterinfoindia.com/

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