Tackling work-related stress

1. Health and Safety Executive Tackling work-related stress Helen McGill Work-related stress team HSE. Visit the Management Standards website at: www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards

2. 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

3. Dan’s story http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/video/danstory1.htm

4. 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.”

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Management Standards The Standards are designed to: • Help simplify risk assessment for stress • Encourage partnership working • Allow benchmarking against other organisations

9. HSE approach • Encouraging organisations to take action • No prosecutions but Improvement Notices • HSE does not expect removal of all pressure from the workplace!

10. 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

11. Let’s revisit Dan http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/video/danstory2.htm

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Work-related stress website

17. What works? • The Blackpool Way • Oxfordshire County Council work with schools • See HSE website for new case studies

18. 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

19. What next? • Stress remains a big problem • Line manager competency – the first line of defence • Management Standards – tell us about your experiences

20. For more information… • Visit HSE’s stress at work website www.hse.gov.uk/stress • Contact the Stress Team • Helen McGill – 0151 951 3627 helen.mcgill@hse.gsi.gov.uk