Stress in the Workplace
What is Stress?
Pressure occurs in most jobs - each job brings its own set of tasks, responsibilities and day to day problems. It is these tasks and challenges at work that provide structure, improve motivation and are the key to a sense of achievement and job satisfaction. The ability to deal with pressure however, is not limitless.
Stress is the physical, emotional and behavioural response to an inappropriate level of pressure. Excessive workplace and/or domestic pressures, leading to stress, can be harmful, undermining the health of employees and damaging business performance. No-one is exempt from stress and it can vary from person to person.
Stress is a serious health issue and the importance of managing it as part of an overall approach to occupational health and safety cannot be overstated.
The cost to the employee, and the employer will be measured in terms of absenteeism, poor motivation and staff turnover. This in turn will create additional stresses and workload for colleagues, who may then enter the vicious circle.
What the Council is doing?
The Council reviewed its Stress Management Policy and also agreed the following commitments:
- There is SMT commitment to review and further develop the stress management policy and action plan.
- The Director of Corporate Services is identified as ‘Stress Champion’ to co-ordinate the stress management programme and report back to SMT.
- A stress risk assessment pack is developed for managers.
- The stress management training programme is reviewed and becomes a ‘compulsory’ training requirement for managers within the Council’s management development programme.
- The stress training programme for employees is reviewed to reflect the risk assessment approach and to focus on raising awareness of stress/ lifestyle management to enable employees to manage their own stress better.
The following actions were agreed in line with the recommendations
- Joint audits of workplaces to be undertaken by trade union safety reps. and Health & Safety Advisers from 21 October - 8 November. The audits will target workplaces across each of the Services and the Areas.
- Guidance on management of change (approved by Resources Committee on 9 October) to be issued in October to Services.
- Management of Change training course piloted and assessed by January 2003.
- Raise awareness of the Stress Management Policy via use of intranet etc. - October and ongoing.
- Senior Management Team to agree that stress management training should be compulsory for all middle and senior managers – 10 October
- Questions related to stress at work included in second employee survey - December 2002.
- Review existing support systems (e.g. Counselling) by end of December 2002.
- Develop training packages to incorporate training stress awareness and risk assessment - February 2003.
Work-Life Balance Project
Work-life balance means different things to different people.
As people place greater emphasis on the need for wellbeing, employers are realising that by acknowledging an employees need for a life outside work – whether for volunteering or sport, recreation, relaxation or relationships – they are enabling individuals to make their own choices about how they balance work with the rest of their lives. Employees are more productive if they are able to balance their work and personal lives effectively. Its not necessarily about working less – but having more control over working time to fit in with the rest of life outside work.
From an employer's perspective it can be used:
- as a recruitment tool
- as a way of retaining employees
- to improve customer service
- to increase return on investment in training
- to employ a more diverse workforce as a truer reflection of the community we serve
- to reduce absenteeism, sickness and stress
- to improve productivity and performance
- to increase morale, commitment and loyalty – or
- to improve employee flexibility: supporting innovation, creativity and the organisations ability to deal with change
In 2000 The Highland Council approved a Family Friendly Policy as part of a continued approval of flexible working initiatives. The policy stated that as an employer it was committed to retaining, developing and motivating its employees by enabling them to balance work and life commitments.
This year the Council submitted an application to the DTI to gain funding to develop practical applications and implementation of Work Life Balance policies and procedures already in place.
The funding was granted – and our project objectives are to :
- Improve recruitment and retention
- Increase levels of employee morale
- Meet employees and service needs through more flexible working arrangements
- Develop a Work-Life Balance framework with guidelines, so that the policies and processes for applying for flexible working, is viewed as fair and consistent by employees and managers.
Funding is provided through the use of consultants to the Council. There has been one meeting to date and we are currently developing an action plan which will involve staff, Trade Unions and management. The Action Plan will be put forward to Service Directors at Senior Management Team meeting in November.
If you have any questions or queries regarding flexible working or the project please contact Kateryna Zoryk, at Personnel HQ on 01463 702055. For more information visit www.workingfamilies.org.uk/