Managing stress and employee wellbeing

Craig Page RGN.OHND.

Why does it matter?Why does it matter?

The legal caseThe legal case

•All employers owe a legal duty of care to their employees and injury to mental health is treated in the same way as injury to physical health

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations1999 The Contractual Obligation Equality Act 2010 (Formerly Disability Discrimination Act 2005) Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Race Relations Act 1976 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 The Employment Rights Act 1996, The Prevention of Harassment Act 1997 The Working Hours Directive

The business case:The business case:

Reduces absence

Increases work quality and performance

Reduces resistance to change

Improves relationships with customers, colleagues and suppliers

Reduces staff turnover

The HSE case via the Management The HSE case via the Management Standards:Standards:

HSE will and does prosecute

Aim is to reduce the levels of work related stress

Uses existing data such as sickness absence and staff turnover/surveys/focus groups

Helps simplify risk assessment

Encourages employers/employees and their representatives to work in partnership to address work related stress throughout the organisation

Provides a yardstick by which organisations can gauge their performance

www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards

The management standards cover six The management standards cover six key areas:key areas:

Demands – workload, work patterns and work environment

Control – how much say the person has in the way they work

Support – such as encouragement, coaching and mentoring

Relationships – positive working to prevent conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour

Role – no conflict and clear reporting

Change – how the company is managed and change communicated

The personal case?The personal case?

Socially and morally correctEach stress case leads to an average of 29 lost days

Work related stress costs 3.7-3.8 billion/year

IT MIGHT BE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

What is stressWhat is stress??

Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them

When the individual no longer feels able to cope then ill health may result

There is a clear distinction between pressure which creates a buzz and stress which occurs when pressure becomes excess

What is pressure and stress?What is pressure and stress?

PRESSURE is the starting point of the stress process, the stimulus in the stress reaction

PRESSURE is inevitable but it is neutral neither good nor bad

STRESS is the physiological, physical and behavioural effects to an unpleasant or threatening stimuli

STRESS is the reaction people have to pressure. It arises when they worry they cannot cope. (HSE 1995)

When does stress become distressWhen does stress become distress The fight/flight mechanism is meant to be turned on and off in a crisis

When the mechanism is turned on continuously then the potential for DISTRESS can occur

DISTRESS occurs when pressure becomes a negative rather than a positive force and the stress remains unresolved

Doc. 1.Mission and vision/mission issue 1 4/11/04

PressurePressure

AdaptationAdaptation GROWTHGROWTH

STRESSSTRESS

DISTRESSDISTRESS

The relationship between pressure, growth and stressThe relationship between pressure, growth and stress

How do you recognise stress

May be acute or chronic

Acute - is like panic – racing pulse / flushing / sweating dry mouth/trembling

Chronic – headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, aching neck and shoulders or skin rashes

What to look for in your self and others Physical signs

Headaches

Tension

Indigestion

Breathlessness

Rashes

Frequent colds

Recurrent illnesses

Mental signs

Inability to concentrate

Worrying

Mistakes

Muddled thanking

Negative thinking

What to look for in your self and others• Behavioural signs

•Unsociable

•Restlessness

•Lying

•Reckless driving

•Increased drinking or smoking

•Emotional signs

•Irritability

•Tension

•Moodiness

•Alienation

•Dissatisfaction

Factors at work that create pressures•Working under time pressures•Too much or too little work•Monotonous tasks•Long working hours•Poor communications systems•Organizational change•Lack of understanding of goals•Lack of participation in decision making•Lack of control•inadequate or unsupportive supervision•Poor relationships with co-workers•Bullying, harassment and violence•Job insecurity/pay•Lack of recognition and feedback•Unfair or unclear performance evaluation•Workspace and environment•Noise•Temperature•Lighting•Conflicting demands of work and home

Organisational Symptoms of Stress

High absenteeismHigh labour turnoverIndustrial relations difficultiesPoor quality controlAccident rates highStrikesAPATHY/PARALYSIS

Cooper &Marshall 1976

Philosophy of Stress Management-the objectives

Prevention - control of hazards and exposure to hazards by design and worker training

Timely reaction - management and group problem solving of problems as they arise

Rehabilitation - enhanced support to help workers cope with and recover from existing problems

Stress Management

Level Individual Organisation

Primary Reduce the risk factor or change To remove the hazard or reduce the the stressor employees exposure

Secondary Alter the way in which Improve the ability to recognise they respond to risks/stress and deal with stress issues as

they arise

Tertiary To heal those distressed To help employees cope with by work and recover from work issues

Management responsibilities

Managers must ensure that the workplace is free as possible from stressors and will contribute to positive mental health through good management practice

The following factors can contribute to stress in the workplace:Lack of awareness and understanding

Poor EnvironmentStructure of organisationJob designWork relationshipsManagement styleCommunication systemsWork patterns

Managers should look out for

Poor performance at work

Uncharacteristic errors, memory lapses and indecisiveness

Withdrawal of interest for commitment

Aggressive behaviour

Immature or emotional behaviour

Fixation – repeating arguments, refusing to listen, insisting on inadequate solutions

A simple management technique to improve well being in the workplace

C ommunicateH onestO penessS upportT rust

Individual capability Remember that:

Individual capability variesA positive management style supports coping strategiesPeople and groups who may be at risk from stress may benefit from learning coping skills

Coping skills involveAppropriate assertivenessTime managementKnowing when to ask for helpAvoiding blaming individuals or negative behaviourSocial supportAppropriate lifestyle ; exercise: sensible eating: relaxtion and hobbies

Take responsibility for your own stress

How can I cope?

Defence mechanisms - denial, sublimation. Useful in short termIdentify personal strengths and weaknessesPersonal action plan- What are my strengths and weaknesses, What needs changing, How can this be done, What resources will be neededControlling tensionSupport each other – no back stabbingRealise that stress and mental health issues occur and can be solvedPsychological “self talk”Develop new coping strategies

Self TalkI am good at my jobI can deal with this problemI have coped with worse in the pastI made a mistake - I’ll learn from it

DO YOU USE WORDS THAT EXAGGERATE?

Terrible - inconvenientDreadful - annoyingCatastrophe - a nuisance

Changing your own personal attitudes, mannerisms and behaviour will affect the way others respond to you

Reducing the pressures of management

Time managementDelegation not abdicationPlanning skillsPriority settingBeing yourselfCreating stability zonesCreating trust in the workplaceLeading not managing

Anxiety States

Combinations of physical and mental manifestations of anxiety occurring either in attacks or persisting statesOccur out of proportion to the external threatAssociated with poor concentration, derealisation, depersonalisation, illogical thinkingClassified as Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Panic attacks or Phobic AnxietyModerate - severe disruption to life and workPrevalence of 6% with 2:1 female to male ratio

Treatment of anxiety statesPhysical exerciseRelaxation and anxiety managementGeneral CounsellingCognitive behavioural therapyAssertiveness trainingAnti-anxiolyticsAntidepressantsBeta blockers

Depressive statesDivided into psychological and physical symptomsPsychological - lowering of mood, low self esteem, pessimism, a sense of despair, hopelessness, helplessness, irrational ideas and thoughts of suicidePhysical - loss of drive and energy, impaired concentration, appetite, sleep and sex drive.Mood is variable and usually worse in morningMay be assoc. with delusions of guilt and psychosisAffects 3% of men and 9% women and has a life time risk of 12% men and 26% womenSocial and work factors are of great importance in precipitating attacks. NB ALCOHOL.

Treatment of depressive states

Cognitive therapy- helps to modify the negative assumptions, expectations and rules that are adopted by the personCounsellingMedication with antidepressantsRecognition

Support of an employee with a stress or Support of an employee with a stress or mental health problemmental health problem

Early recognition and prompt action is vitalRespect an individuals confidenceEnsure the environment is right for confidential conversationsEnsure confidential storage of recordsAccept that in some cases the individual may not wish to divulge informationListen actively and assess any complaintsEncourage them to seek supportSupport them through the bad patches / recognise them during the good patchesREMEDY THE PROBLEM IF WORK RELATED

Return to workMost people with mental health issues recover completelyCarefully consider shift patterns Fitness for work is not “all or nothing”- rehabilitation plans may be neededThe return to work is the start of the recovery process not the endMaintain liaison on a regular basisMental health illnesses may be covered by the Equality Act 2010 (DDA) . This may force you to make reasonable adjustment to the workplace and patterns of workIT COULD BE YOU!!!!!

Assistance for employees

Referral can be formal or informalPreferred route via the OHASupport offered by OHA, Doctors,counsellor and GPGeneral information on mental health and well being available from OHAExternal support groups