Gosport Borough Council

HSE stress webpage

INTRODUCTION

Occupational stress is generating increasing public and media concern. Although there are no precise figures on the prevalence of occupational stress, it is widely held that the problem is substantial and increasing. This is supported by a number of surveys that suggest that occupational stress is now seen as a major contributor to overall illness and sickness absence in the workplace. Legal judgements recently have awarded damages in stress-related cases.

Health & safety law: What you should know

MISC686 Working together to prevent stress

HSE stress managment standards

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress is the reaction people have to excessive demands or pressures. In the workplace it arises when people try to cope with the tasks, responsibilities or other types of pressure connected with their jobs but find difficulty, strain or worry in doing so. Stress triggers complex changes in the body's processes, causing physiological changes and affecting the way people think, feel and behave i.e.

Physiological changes	Behavioral changes
· increased heart rate, perspiration · dry mouth · headache, dizziness, blurred vision · lowered resistance to infections · aching neck and shoulders · skin rashes	· people becoming anxious, irritable · drink more alcohol · smoke more · loss of sleep · reduced motivation

People experience stress in different ways and to different degrees. Much depends on how individuals cope or think they cope and the extent of support, which is available to them. The stress response is not in itself an illness - it's effects often being short-lived and causing no lasting harm. However, where workplace pressures are intense, sustained for some time or are simply beyond the capacity of the person to cope stress can lead to actual mental and/or physical ill-health. Where such a risk exists, then stress and the workplace pressures causing it become a legitimate health and safety concern.

WHAT MAY GIVE RISE TO STRESS?

There are a number of aspects of work which may give rise to

stress:

ASPECT	EXAMPLES
General management and culture of the organisation	Lack of clear company objectives and values Poor communication Lack of employee consultation/involvement during periods of organisational change Lack of management support and development for staff
Role in organisation	Employee's roles within the organisation Unclear Conflicting objectives and priorities High level of responsibility for people
Career development	Career uncertainty Career stagnation Poor status Job insecurity or redundancy
Decision making/control	Low participation in decision-making Lack of control over work Little decision-making in work
Relationships at work	Social or physical isolation Poor relationships with superiors Interpersonal conflict, including bullying, violence, sexual or racial harassment.
Home/work issues	Conflicting demands of work and home Low levels of support at home Dual career problems
Job design	Ill-defined work High uncertainty in work Lack of variety or short work cycles Fragmented or meaningless work Under-use of skill Constant exposure to client/customer groups
Workload/work pace	Lack of control over pacing Work overload or underload High levels of pacing or time pressure
Work schedule	Shift working Inflexible/overburden some work schedule Unpredictable work hours Unsocial work hours

HSE good practices

THE LEGAL POSITION

There is no specific legislation on controlling stress at work. However, employers have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that their workplaces are safe and healthy. Also, under the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1992 employers are obliged to assess the nature and extent of risks to health in their workplace and base their control measures on it. Employers have a legal duty to take reasonable care to ensure that health is not put at risk through excessive and sustained levels of stress rising from work activities i.e. to treat stress like any other health hazard.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

1. Good management - including 'regard for people' attitudes.

2. Ensure appropriately open and understanding attitudes to stress.

3. Ensure jobs are 'do-able', matching the job with the person in it.

4. Management style - consistent, concerned, communicative and caring.

5. Managing periods of change so as to reduce uncertainty.

6. Providing help, support and training.

7. Monitoring stress levels - perhaps through a combination of sickness absence monitoring and periodic anonymised staff surveys.

Some of the things that can help in a positive approach to stress reduction are:

General management and culture	Decision-making and planning
· Clear company objectives · Good communication · Close employee involvement, particularly during periods of organisational change · Good management support and appropriate training and development of staff	· Opportunities for staff to contribute ideas, in particular in the planning and organisation of their own jobs Employees' role in the organisation · Clearly defined objectives and responsibilities linked to organisational objectives · Support for those with high level of responsibility for the welfare and well-being of people

Relationships at work	Job design
· Training in interpersonal skills · Effective systems for dealing with interpersonal conflict, bullying and racial or sexual harassment, including: agreed grievance procedure & proper investigation of complaints	· Well designed tasks & responsibilities · Plenty of variety avoiding short work cycles · Proper use of skills · Proper training for those dealing constantly with the public or client groups · Proper hazards control

Work schedule	Workload/work pace
· Flexible work schedules · Planned and agreed work hours	· Targets that are stretching but reasonable

CHECKLIST – STRESS

1. Do you recognise occupational stress as a legitimate health and safety issue?

2. In running your business, where necessary, do you seek to minimise occupational stress through the following:

· Development of an appropriate management culture (communicative, participative, supportive)?
· Involvement of staff in decision-making and planning?
· Appropriate role for, and support of, employees in the organisation?
· Optimising relationships, interpersonal skills etc.at work?
· Flexible work schedules, planned and agreed hours of work?
· Appropriately considered job design?
· Stretching but reasonable work targets?

3. If necessary, do you monitor occupational stress (or its possible indicators)?

REFERENCES/FURTHER DETAILS

1. HSE Books:
2. Stress research and stress management - putting theory to work (Prof. Tom Cox - 1993). HSE Contract Research Report No. 61/1993 HSE Books .
3. ABC of mental health in the workplace (Dept. Of Health). Free copy available from P.O. Box 99, Sudbury, Suffolk C01 06BR Tel. 01787 884466.
4. Promoting Mental Health Policies in the Workplace (R. Jenkins and D. Warman) HMSO.
5. Stress home page
6. HSG 218 TACKLING WORK RELATED STRESS

7. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/stresspk.htm

8. HSE website:

9. Tackling stress leaflet:-

For further information please call (023) 9254 5505, 5506 or 5507 during office hours

or e-mail ehs@gosport.gov.uk any time