Dealing with Stress at Works An Introduction

Dealing with stress at work The Difference between Stress and Pressure What is Pressure What drives us to do the things we need to do to survive and achieve, whether it be getting out of bed, finding the next meal or winning a multi-million pound order. We all need sufficient pressure to perform at our best. What is Stress? People's natural reaction to excessive pressure: 'The adverse reaction that people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them’ (HSE). Not in itself a disease, but if it is prolonged it can lead to physical and/or mental ill health.

Dealing with stress at work Is stress “good for you”? No! – it’s important to distinguish between stress and pressure: We all need some pressure to drive us. The more the pressure, the better the performance, up to a point. Excessive pressure results in a harmful reaction, stress.

Dealing with stress at work Performance (physical & mental) Stress Zone Best (optimum) performance Laid back Inactive Anxious Panic, anger or violence Arousal Level Low Medium High Low (underload) MediumHigh (overload)

Dealing with stress at work Who suffers from stress? Potentially any of us! Different people have different optimum levels of pressure – these can vary hugely.

Dealing with stress at work Symptoms & signs of stress (examples) Poor sleep because of worry about problems. Impatience & irritability at minor problems. Distraction & poor concentration – too much on your mind. Problems prioritising & making decisions. Excessive smoking & drinking. Not enjoying food, leisure, sex & other pleasurable activities. Inability to relax – always something else needs doing. Feelings of tension – sweating, dry mouth, thumping heart, knot in stomach etc. etc.

Dealing with stress at work Symptoms & signs of stress (examples) – Cont. Deteriorating relationships (work & home) because of preoccupation, irritability etc. Deteriorating attendance and performance at work. Increasing frequency of errors. Neglect of personal appearance, standards etc. Emotional outbursts.

Dealing with stress at work Bereavement Health problems – self, family or friend Financial worries Redundancy worries Legal problems House move Relationship problems or breakdown Pregnancy Parenting problems Holidays! Work problems (more on this later) What are the potential causes of stress?

Dealing with stress at work At work, extensive research indicates that stress risks are determined by job characteristics such as: low levels of control; continuous high work pace; frequent interpersonal conflicts; heavy emotional demands.

Dealing with stress at work Is work-related stress increasing? Uncertain, but: probably greater awareness; rapid pace of change in working environment; competitive pressures; changing expectations; interactions with stress outside work.

Dealing with stress at work Preventing stress at work: FIRST LEVEL - identify and manage the root causes of stress at work; SECOND LEVEL - help individuals to recognise symptoms and develop their coping skills; THIRD LEVEL - provide assistance for those already affected.

Dealing with stress at work The Law Where stress caused by work poses a significant risk to health, employers have a duty to: assess the risk and take reasonable steps to deal with it. i.e. risks to health from stress at work should be treated in the same way as workplace health or safety risks of any other kind. Details on the risk assessment process can be found in our Procedure for Managing Stress in the Workplace HR/M/010

Dealing with stress at work Management Standards produced by HSE emphasise the importance of tackling the root causes of stress in an organisation, e.g.: Culture – of the organisation and how it approaches work related stress Demands – workload, work patterns & work environment. Control – how much say a person has in how they do their work. Relationships – promoting positive behaviour to avoid conflict & dealing with unacceptable behaviour. Change – how organisational change (large & small) is managed and communicated. Role – ensuring people understand their roles and avoiding role conflicts Support – encouragement, sponsorship & resources provided by employer, managers & colleagues..

Dealing with stress at work 'Things to do' - creating the right climate: raise awareness of the causes and effects of stress; help people to admit it if they are under excessive pressure; encourage / train managers to have an open attitude and to look for potential problems.

Dealing with stress at work 'Things to do' - getting the basics right: ensure jobs are 'do-able'; equip staff with necessary skills, training and resources; ensure people are treated consistently and fairly; ensure good 2-way communication; manage change well.

Dealing with stress at work Dealing with stress personally Stress diary – when, where, how & why are problems occurring? Is there a pattern? (this may point to possible causes and solutions) Problem solving – having identified them, can you deal personally with any of the causes of stress? Talking it through with a family member, a friend, colleague or even your line manager often helps. Relaxation techniques – learning simple relaxation techniques and when to use them can be very effective. Planning for relaxation – time invested in relaxation in your leisure time is time well spent! Set time aside for this and stick to it. Different things suit different people.

Dealing with stress at work Dealing with stress personally – Cont. Time out - time to pause and plan in the working day can be vital. Proper meal breaks matter. Getting up a little earlier can allow time to plan and prepare for the day ahead. Work-life balance – are you and your family getting their fair share of your time and energy? Exercise – The benefits, both mental and physical, are substantial. Any exercise is good, but at least 30 minutes per day at least 5 days a week is ideal! Hobbies – Ideally something which can be picked up and left easily, preferably not involving deadlines & other pressures.

Dealing with stress at work Dealing with stress personally – Cont. Smoking & alcohol – BEWARE!! - Drinking to try to ‘calm nerves’ is often the start of the slippery slope… Professional help – Sources of help include Occupational Health, GPs, numerous voluntary agencies and the Internet. Further help and advice on personal stress management aids, diet and exercise can be obtained from the following Scottish Government ‘Healthier Scotland’ websites or from the NHS website: Further information on stress and wellbeing available from HealthMatters on Rail Xpress SQE pages Details of the company policy and commitment to the provision and maintenance of effective management of workplace stress are described in procedure HR/M/010 (Procedure for Management Stress in the Workplace)

Dealing with stress at work Seeking professional help DOES NOT show you are weak and unable to cope. DOES NOT mean you will end up taking medication. DOES NOT ensure you will be signed off work for weeks or months. DOES NOT lead to everyone else getting to know of your problems. DOES NOT mean you will never be promoted.

Dealing with stress at work Seeking professional help DOES mean you have been honest & mature enough to recognise the need for help. DOES ensure that you can be provided with the sort of help you personally need & want. DOES help to avoid things going from bad to worse – ‘a stitch in time saves nine’!

Dealing with stress at work Professional help – Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) If work seems to be part of the problem, talking with your immediate manager or HR manager is important. However, should you feel the need to seek further help, Confidential Care offers our employees with a free and confidential helpline which provides unlimited access to advice, information and face to face counselling support. The service can be used for a wide range of problems – Emotional, Personal, Relationship, Financial and other - work related and non work related – which can lead to stress anxiety and depression. Call any time (Freephone)

HSE Questionnaire for line managers If you are a line manager, please complete the HSE Stress Management Questionnaire saved in: T:\S Q E\Stress Awareness Campaign\Presentation and Questionnaire\mcit.xls (enable macros to open) The questionnaire is designed to allow you to assess whether the behaviours identified as effective for preventing and reducing stress at work are part of your management repertoire or not. The aim is to help you to reflect upon your own behaviour and management style.

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