tackling work-related stress helen mcgill work-related stress team hse. visit the management...
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Tackling work-related stress
Helen McGill
Work-related stress team
HSE.
Visit the Management Standards website at: www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards
Health and Safety Executive
Dan’s story: feeling the pressure
• Difference between pressure and stress
• Changes to management and protocol led to excessive pressure=stress
• It is important to understand what stress is and what causes it
Dan’s story
http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/video/danstory1.htm
The truth about work-related stress
• No one definition but plenty of Google entries!
• HSE defines work-related stress as:
“…the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them.”
Stress at work cannot be ignored
• Last year, around 415 000 people in Britain believed that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill
• Nearly 10 million working days lost in Britain
• Employees will be less productive if they come to work feeling stressed
What does it mean for business?
• Increased sick absence
• One case can lead to an average of 30 days off work
• Poor productivity
• Staff not working to their full potential
What the law says
• Legal duties under two pieces of legislation:
- The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
– Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Management Standards
The Standards are designed to:
• Help simplify risk assessment for stress
• Encourage partnership working
• Allow benchmarking against other organisations
HSE approach
• Encouraging organisations to take action
• No prosecutions but Improvement Notices
• HSE does not expect removal of all pressure from the workplace!
LA enforcement activity
• Most activity has concentrated on the financial sector
• Examples of effective Local Authority inspection activity in the City:
Tower Hamlets
City of London
Westminster city council
Let’s revisit Dan
http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/video/danstory2.htm
Dan’s story
• What went wrong?
No action taken by Dan’s manager
Manager did not know what signs and symptoms to look out for
He assumed Dan would approach him without encouragement
Dan’s story
• What went right
Manager understood more about Dan and his role
Dan knows he can talk to his manager about any issues
Addressed workload/other causes of stress
Involving staff in actions
Management Competencies
• When Dan’s manager took appropriate action, he displayed competencies that are effective in identifying and tackling in his staff:
RESPECTFUL AND RESPONSIBLE: MANAGING EMOTIONS AND HAVING INTEGRITY
MANAGING AND COMMUNICATING EXISTING AND FUTURE WORK
MANAGING THE INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THE TEAM
REASONING/MANAGING DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
The role of the line manager
• Line managers – the first line of defence
• Investment is need to give managers the skills they need
• Line manager competency tool – HSE website
www.hse.gov.uk/stress/mcit.htm
Work-related stress website
What works?
• The Blackpool Way
• Oxfordshire County Council work with schools
• See HSE website for new case studies
A year on: HSE strategy
• HSE’s new strategy for the health and safety of Great Britain
• Reinforces the principles of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Key themes include: the need for strong leadership, building competence, involving the workforce
What next?
• Stress remains a big problem
• Line manager competency – the first line of defence
• Management Standards – tell us about your experiences
For more information…
• Visit HSE’s stress at work website
www.hse.gov.uk/stress
• Contact the Stress Team
• Helen McGill – 0151 951 3627