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Posted By artisdeeian
Hi.
Has anyone interviewed an employee who has gone off sick with work related stress. I am interested in how to conduct an interview without stressing the person even more. I need to know why this person has gone off sick because the signs were not recognisable and I want to get to the bottom of it in order to help. Is there a standard format for the questions asked? Can anyone help?
Thanks.
Ian
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Posted By Bob Youel
Its one of the hardest subjects to master, especially so as many GP's use stress as the coverall on sick notes for underlying situations where they have no time etc or competence to investigate further
The HSE have some good guidance as does the ergonomics society & similar behaviour groups
Have you undertaken proactive generic stress risk assessments or are you now reacting?
Trust is a very important area as people will not speak etc to those who they do not trust nor to those that they perceive are the causers of stress
You need to get a responsible and competent person who is known to be fair etc and has no likely reason to be involved anywhere to find out who the employee trusts and go from there
Outside organisations can offer some good services e.g. I use RELATE to do some work related [not marriage counselling] sessions to set basic benchmarks
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Posted By artisdeeian
Thanks Bob.
Yes it is a "Re-action". However, I thought it a good idea to show we as a company do take it seriously and are willing to listen to this guy to try to find out any route causes as to why he has gone sick through stress. Again I agree it is a very complicated area but I feel we need to be seen to be doing something
Ian
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Posted By garyh
In the past I used a specialist from the healthcare company who supplied our occupational hygiene services. Basically they send a touchy feely trained person to meet the stressed employee and assess things and give a report.
If you are not trained and very empathic, it could be disastrous, and lead you open to a compo claim!
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan A delicate but not necessarily an enormous issue on the basis of what you write. Just as 'chartered safety and health professionals' are society's specialists in the area of safety and health at work, 'chartred occupational psychologists' are society's specialsits in work-related stress. Some chartered occupational pscychologists are also qualified counsellors and chartered safety and health practitioners as well. To them, work-related stress is no more, and no less, complex than hazardous chemicals - they're trained and practised to use words, written and spoken, and eyes and ears to gather the data needed to make an assessment of the extent to which work tasks can be adapted to vulnerabilities of stressed employees. Very experienced 'ch occ psychs' also have served as expert witnesses in claims of work-related stress, commissioned as joint or party (i.e. on behalf of the employer or employee) witnesses. Their expertise is specifically in the domain of work, unlike members of RELATE and most 'touchy feely' people, whatever that actually means in terms of occupational competence. You can get relevant details of chartered occupational psychologists from w www.bps.org.uk.
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Posted By Mitch
Having just returned from eight weeks sick leave due to work, yes work! related stress I certainly would not want to discuss any aspect with someone from the work place. I have been seeing a NHS counsellor (certainly not touchy feely) and can recommend an impartial obsever to anyone in this situation.
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan
The response from Mitch highlights how there are two distinct issues arising from the original question.
One concerns 'rehabilitation' after severe stress i.e. the 'I want to get to the bottom of it in order to help'. A clinical psychologist or counsellor may well be very effective for that
The other concerns risk assessment both in relation to work-related stressors to which all employees are exposed and in relation to the individual who has been unwell i.e. to know why this person has gone off sick because the signs were not recognisable'; this is where the distinctive competencies of some chartered occupational psychologists are relevant as they've chosen to specialise in the sometimes-subtle interactions which generate stresses and which even the individual who suffers beyond his/her capability may not have recognised in advance unless his/her employer has provided the education to which he/she is statutorily entitled.
What the Tracy Ann Evans judgment of the Court of Appeal made absolutely clear last February is that an employer is cruising for a costly bruising if they allow an employee to continue suffering from stress after he/she has indicated vulnerability. As in so many areas of OSH, timely and skilful care is invariably the most cost-effective action
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Posted By Karen Coomer
Ian
As an OH Specialist who specialises in stress at work I would be happy to chat to you about this, if you want to contact me.
Regards
Karen
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Posted By artisdeeian
Thank you Karen. Sorry I have'nt replied to your response earlier. I would love to have a chat to you about Stress at Work.
Kind regards
Ian.
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