PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

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EMPLOYER’S ROLES: 1Identify significant hazards (dust in our example) 2Remove or control/reduce significant risks (e.g. keep levels of dust as low as reasonably can be achieved) 3Monitor the success of the systems that are put in place and make adjustments as necessary 4React quickly when issues do arise – including issues with causation outside the employer’s immediate control 5Ensure that staff are competent and well informed (informed with regard to work place risks and methods of control and, in the case of forward thinking employers, how they may help themselves to cope through lifestyle choices, etc.) 6Provide support and treatment services for staff 7Develop a culture that supports health and safety management

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT Manageable Demands Excessive demands

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT EMPLOYER’S ROLES: 1Identify sources of stress (stressors/hazards) that involve a significant level of demand 2Remove or control/reduce significant and potentially damaging demands (risks) 3Monitor the success of the systems that are put in place and make adjustments as necessary 4React quickly when issues do arise – including issues with causation outside the employer’s immediate control 5Ensure that staff are competent and well informed (informed with regard to work place risks and methods of control and, in the case of forward thinking employers, how they may help themselves to cope through lifestyle choices, etc.) 6Provide support and treatment services for staff 7Develop a culture that supports stress management

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (1) Identifying significant sources of stress (stressors/demands) Consider each group of jobs and the specific demands of individual posts DemandSignificance Level Work under pressure of timeX Responsibility for clientsX Shift workX Need to concentration despite interruptionsX Potentially abusive clientsX Other (inc. job or profession specific)

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

Use “Stress Audits” to identify more general issues experienced by groups of workers or across the wider work force The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been running a simple, practical, stress audit pilot scheme: Very simple staged process – only 6 questions in first stage, subsequent stages involve minimal questioning are only undertaken if shown to be necessary at first stage Covers 6 main areas associated with stress at work - Demands, Control, Support, Relationships, Role, and Change Provides a mechanism to use in assessing how significant the responses are – e.g. would you consider that your company had a “bullying culture” if 5% of staff feel that they are bullied at work? - what if the expected figure is 50%? - what if the expected figure is 0.5%?

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT Consider the impact of all policy and strategic decisions on how staff will cope and factor these considerations in before deciding whether or not to go ahead with changes. For example: Will changes make it easier or harder for staff to cope with demands? Will service benefits outweigh any negative impact on staff? Is the change necessary – are you about to fix something that isn’t broken? What resource requirements will be necessary to ensure that staff can cope, are there new training requirements, what change management process will be used?

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (2) Remove or control/reduce significant and potentially damaging demands Provision of equipment and resources Appropriate staffing levels Provision of a suitable physical environment Training – general requirements to carry out work tasks and for specific areas of demand such as dealing with aggressive/abusive clients Appropriate time off, rest breaks, and rosters Support through supervision, provision of information, consultation, etc

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

Use Stress Audits, ask staff to assess their own demands (use JA1), etc., as a check of management perceptions (3) Monitor the success of the systems that are put in place and make adjustments as necessary Listen to staff – and have several lines through which issues can be reported Review levels of and reasons for staff absences (needs some interpretation, e.g. regular absences for varied/unspecific reasons may be indicative of an underlying difficulty in coping) Statistical information from occupational health providers/employee counselling services (within appropriate limits of confidentiality) Introduce new ways of controlling demands and/or alter existing systems in response to monitoring feedback

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (4) React quickly when issues do arise Do not allow problems to fester – they may become more serious and potentially unresolvable Recognise that external factors may impact on an employees ability to work and make adjustments to assist Tackle difficult situations such as bullying, personality clashes, etc. These issues are likely to deepen over time if no action is taken: e.g.Mediation Clarity as to acceptable behaviour “Drawing a line in the sand” Formal action where necessary

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

In Sefton, assessment forms are given to candidates and OH practitioners during recruitment. OH identify appropriate additional support where it is practicable and, rarely, have to advise that someone should not be employed when suitable support is unrealistic. (5) Ensure that staff are competent and well informed Pre-employment: Provide information to applicants so that they know what to expect and can discount themselves if they “don’t think the job’s for them” Consider how candidates will respond to the demands they will face during recruitment testing and interviewing Pre-employment health checks/occupational health (OH) assessment

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT During employment: Staff development – coaching, mentoring, training, etc Supervision Provide information on demands and the ways that they are to be controlled – include the employees role Provide information on reporting arrangements, available support, etc. Provide information on identifying and coping with stress at a personal level, on life style, etc. (in support of, not the place of, organisational efforts)

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (6) Provide support and treatment services for staff Counselling Occupational health Other, e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy The need for these services in relation to work related stress issues should be viewed as representing management failures – the onus must be placed on controlling demands, not treatment of problems once they have arisen.

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (7) Develop a culture that supports stress management Stress prevention and management procedures and mechanisms will not be effective unless managers act within the “spirit” of them – not purely as a “cover my back” form filling exercise Important principles in the development of a culture that supports stress management include: Recognition that failure to cope with stressful demands causes real illness – physical at a neurological and biochemical level – and can affect people who would be considered “strong” as well as “weak” Avoidance is better than cure Making adjustments to assist someone who is struggling will maintain a level of productivity that would be lost if they were to become unfit to work - and may be a key factor in avoiding significant long term illness Knowledge and recognition of stressors – at work and in life. Recognition of the importance of treating staff as human beings e.g. in acceptable interpersonal behaviours, consultation, work-life balance considerations, etc.

PRACTICAL STRESS MANAGEMENT EMPLOYER’S ROLES: 1Identify sources of stress (stressors/hazards) that involve a significant level of demand 2Remove or control/reduce significant and potentially damaging demands (risks) 3Monitor the success of the systems that are put in place and make adjustments as necessary 4React quickly when issues do arise – including issues with causation outside the employer’s immediate control 5Ensure that staff are competent and well informed (informed with regard to work place risks and methods of control and, in the case of forward thinking employers, how they may help themselves to cope through lifestyle choices, etc.) 6Provide support and treatment services for staff 7Develop a culture that supports stress management