The Changing Face of Stress Management

Stress. A short word whispered in the 70s, shouted in the 90s, its reverberations having been growing steadily ever since. Today, the enormous amount of collective brain space it occupies reflect just how far this catch-all psychological term has come, but beyond a few soundbite facts (“now the biggest cause of absence among non-manual employees”, “Average tribunal payout exceeds £30,000″ etc.), are we any closer to preventing, addressing or managing stress effectively?

We are more comfortable than ever with concepts such as anxiety, depression, counselling, stress training, stress risk assessments, and are more likely than ever to persist with efforts to rehabilitate stressed employees into the workplace. But the level of stress absence continues to rise, and the cost of stress is still growing.

Part of the reason is that work-related stress is defined in terms of its manifestation: “The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work.” (HSE, 2011) When a condition is defined by a reaction, and when one person’s ‘excessive pressure’ is another’s motivating environment, how can employers realistically hope to anticipate and mitigate against a stress reaction? When this reaction could be anything from reduced immunity to colds, anxiety disorders, introversion or reliance on a crutch (such as shopping, nicotine or fast food), how can an employer eliminate the risk to its employees?

Clearly, changing the job is not enough. You cannot eliminate stressors from the workplace, not least because those elements causing the stress affect different people differently, and what someone thrives on in January may be the final straw in June. The term work-related stress is unhelpful in any case – a person’s ability to cope with pressure is not compartmentalised into ‘work demands’ and ‘home demands’, nor yet into ‘psychological’ and ‘other’. But that is not to say an employer is helpless to reduce stress demands on its workforce.

What it does mean is that employers should be more flexible in their approach to building their employees’ resilience and responding to stress reactions. One size does not fit all, and imagining that employees will all deal with scenarios in the same way is a persistent mistake. Bearing in mind a few key factors will improve the impact of any stress reduction initiative:

1. Stress is almost never the result of a single stressor. Too often, one stress factor is identified, removed/mitigated, and the problem is expected to disappear. Understanding the surroundings of what the employee is experiencing gives the opportunity for a more holistic, effective response.
2. Resilience can be built. A person’s resilience to stress is a combination of many things: knowledge that they’ve managed a particular task before; confidence from success in other areas; being fit and healthy; feeling in control of other elements of their lives; feeling supported and valued; making progress in their lives; believing their employer is fulfilling their end of the bargain, etc. Just as employee skillsets can be built through training, resilience can be built by helping employees to be healthy, to achieve personal goals, to feel like they’re progressing in their work, to feel valued.
3. Everybody is different. Some respond to status, some a belief in the value of their work, some seek material reward, some positive relationships and some a job well done. Understanding the individual is crucial in knowing what gives them strength to manage pressure.
4. But some things appeal to all. Being well; having good, open relationships with management and colleagues; having confidence that their opinion counts. All contribute to having a resilient workforce that manages pressure well.
5. Sometimes, stress reactions will happen. When they do, responding quickly, supportively and professionally gives employees the best opportunity to recover. The quicker an employee starts to take positive steps, the better and quicker their recovery will be.

The most successful stress management programmes take effect long before a stress response is identified. A workforce that is healthy, fulfilled, involved and engaged will be resilient to stress risks, better able to handle pressure and overcome obstacles. Of course, employers need resources to call on when times are tough, and the more comprehensive and easy to access the better. Nevertheless, by implementing a broad, holistic wellbeing strategy that is flexible to the needs of employees, in a culture of communication and development, an organisation will be giving itself and its employees the best chance of managing pressure and stressful situations as they emerge.

To learn more about the affects and solutions to combating work related stress contact us. Or book onto our workshop and talk directly with manage health on 24th November 2011.

Health & Safety News

Change to accident/injury reporting rules

As from 6 April 2012, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (Riddor) will be amended so that employers will only be required to report fatalities, major injuries and some categories of ‘near misses’, and any employee absence from work for more than SEVEN consecutive days following a work-related injury (ie changed from the current three days). This fits more closely with the self-certification scheme (a medical statement is required for absences in excess of seven days), which may make employee absence easier to manage, and will be reviewed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in three years’ time.

In the meantime, note that, since 12th September, reportable incidents have had to be notified to the HSE using one of seven online forms on the HSE’s website, although major incidents, serious injuries and fatalities can still be reported by telephone.

For more information on reporting accidents contact us.

Increase in fatalities

The HSE has reported a significant increase in the number of workplace fatalities in the UK over the past year – 171 deaths at work in 2010-11, compared to 147 in the previous year.

Industries which saw a rise in fatal accidents included the construction, manufacturing and service industries.

Your workplace – the basics

It seems quite reasonable to require employers to provide a place of work for their employees that is safe and without risks to health (a basic requirement of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974). But how many times have we visited someones office or workshop and asked, “how can that person work in such a place, it is so ‘cramped, ‘dirty, ‘cold, ‘hot, ‘noisy? How can anyone find anything in there? That equipment is so archaic; it must take ages to complete one article…”

And yet many people put up with less than perfect surroundings in which to work. As a consequence they are less productive, prone to take more time of work, when sick, and more likely to have an accident or suffer from ill-health. All this is done in the mistaken belief that the employer is saving money. In reality he is going to waste money through poor productivity.

The benefit of providing a good working environment is that employees are more likely to want to come to work. Because they are not working on top of each other, they may feel less intimidated. Being more productive, they will be under less pressure and therefore will be less likely to suffer stress related illness.

What needs to be provided? – safe premises – healthy premises – and good welfare facilities

• Sufficient space to work in – and being able to get in and out of it comfortably. If you have to squeeze through small gaps to get behind you desk, or your chair will not move back far enough to enable you to stand up properly, it is going to take you longer to get in and out and it is unlikely that anyone will be able to get in there to clean. Allowing staff to store things under their desks can further restrict movement, resulting in poor posture or increase the fire hazards.
• Adequate circulation routes around the workplace – in many factories walkway limits are painted on the floor and nothing is allowed to be dumped in them. In an office, bags and boxes frequently encroach into walkways and create congestion, trip hazards and an increased risk in a fire evacuation. You also need to avoid cables crossing floors, particularly on main circulation routes. Not only are they a serious trip hazard, they will also be damaged more easily, exposing people to electrical hazards.
• Means of access and egress from a workplace – the main access routes must be kept clear to allow all people in the building to be able to escape in an emergency. It is surprising how many such routes are allowed to become clogged with vending machines, photocopiers, magazine racks, etc. I have come across fire escape routes with no lighting; steps without warning (or handrails) for people to trip over and doors that require two hands to open them. Not to mention the fire exit door that is blocked by the morning delivery.
• Floors and traffic routes should be free from obstructions and without slip or trip hazards – beautiful tiled floors can be suitable when dry, but when contaminated with water, oil or dust, the surface transforms into a dangerous ice rink. Warning signs are not enough, you need to ensure that the contamination is mopped up quickly or barriered off. It is likely that your customers or visitors, who will be unfamiliar with your premises, are the ones who will be most likely to slip and be injured. This may not encourage them to come back or to recommend your business to others.
• Glass doors and walls should be protected or made of a safety material that does not shatter on impact – most new premises will be safe, but older premises may still have unsafe areas. In buildings with glass partitions, it is important to have some decoration or marking on glass panels at about mid height, so that people are not hurt when they mistakenly try to walk through what they thought was a clear opening.
• Windows that are openable should be safe to operate – There is one recorded fatality to an office worker, who when trying to close a window was kneeling on a desk and reached out too far. It is also important that windows can be cleaned safely. A lot of thought now goes into the design of new buildings so that this can happen. Older buildings may be more dangerous for the window cleaner.
• Regular maintenance of the premises and work equipment is essential – this includes cleaning and waste removal and periodic redecoration. Allowing wood dust to build up in a joiners shop greatly increases the risk of an explosion. Not cleaning carpets increases the risk of respiratory diseases in offices. Health and hygiene hazards can be spread more easily on dirty surfaces.
• Good ventilation and the removal of harmful substances from the air – a supply of fresh, clean air drawn from outside or a mechanical ventilation system. If you work in an unventilated room, the build up of carbon dioxide during the day ensures that by early afternoon, you will be sleepier and much less productive. Dust, fumes and chemical vapours can increase the harm to your employees.
• A reasonable working temperature – the relevant code of practice requires a minimum temperature of 16°C, or 13°C for strenuous work. However in an office environment a more productive temperature will lie between 18°C and 22°C. Paradoxically there is no recommended upper limit. However you will get much less work out of people once the temperature reaches 28-30°C.
• Lighting levels should be suitable – this will depend very much on the type of work being done. Dangerous activities, reading and precision work may require high levels of task lighting, compared with more manual tasks. However glare can also become an unnecessary distraction. Working with a window behind your computer screen can also result in a lot of headaches and eye strain, because by the eyes having to readjust between the relatively dark computer screen and the much brighter background behind.
• Noise levels should not cause harm – this is easy to deal with from individual tools or equipment. However a noisy ventilation system or a photocopier, or the build up of people on telephones, which might only be termed nuisance noise, can be sufficient to cause a serious distraction to workers and increase their frustration, which can be a significant stressor.
• Sufficient toilets and washing facilities – these are a very good litmus test for a business. Do you care sufficiently to provide clean, light and airy toilets? Have you separate provision for male and female staff? This is not essential for small businesses; however it is generally better to provide separate facilities for larger businesses. When you see facilities that are heavily used this is even more important. For those who travel regularly on business, you know which service stations not to call at. If you have very dirty processes, then the facilities may include the provision of showers and clothes lockers.
• Having potable drinking water, somewhere to prepare a hot drink and somewhere clean to eat food – this is a basic welfare requirement. And while it is OK to allow staff to eat food at their computer workstation, it is difficult to keep clean and it doesnt encourage staff to take a break from the computer screen. It is another good stress reliever to introduce rest breaks away from the workstation.

It is important that you monitor you workplace and check that is in good order. If anyone wants to see or discuss the standards to apply or how to introduce a simple inspection process, involving both managers and the workforce, then contact us.

A link you may find useful is on the NHS website.