Posted By Adams777 I sent out the undermentioned policy for review to the Director responsible: Attached please find Stress Policy and related documents for your review. As a guide (which is not exhaustive) please work through the checklist below. Your comments and observations would be appreciated. Manager's Checklist The checklist below identifies key actions involved in managing stress at work. Further information on each of these points is contained within the documents. Do you and all managers understand the Trust’s overall policy and principles relating to stress management? Do you and all managers understand the difference between ‘stress’ and ‘pressure’? Do you and all managers understand your responsibilities and the responsibilities of others? Has a risk assessment of potential sources of stress been carried out by using the Stress at Work risk assessment form and accompanying guidance? Do you and all managers understand how to recognise the signs and symptoms of stress in individuals? Are there any support mechanisms and interventions for individuals experiencing pressure or stress? Are you and all managers aware of how individuals can report cases of work-related stress? Have all staff been made aware of the Stress Policy / Guidance and how to report pressure or stress? Do you and all managers know how to investigate the causes of stress with individual employees and how to compile an action plan? Are you and all managers aware of what to do in cases of stress-related sickness absence? The Director's Answer: I have written some notes on the two attached policies. I have not written anything on the stress action plan or on the risk assessment form. To my knowledge, neither of them has ever been used. In short, though we handle our staff as sympathetically as possible and support them when they are in difficulties of all kinds, we have always done it without any reference at all to the attached policies and without filling in any forms. Are these policies necessary? WHAT ANSWER DO I GIVE HIM? Adam

Posted By Kieran J Duignan Adam There is more to the question you raise than meets the eye. I is useful to read what you quote the Director actualy wrote: 'To my knowledge, neither of them has ever been used. In short, though we handle our staff as sympathetically as possible and support them when they are in difficulties of all kinds, we have always done it without any reference at all to the attached policies and without filling in any forms. Are these policies necessary?' He has offered a viewpoint and asked a question. No information is available outside the company the number of employees, their age range, gender differences, incidence of disabilitie and racial mix; so, one can only say that it is a questioni of fact about whether the Director's claim is valid. Have there been surveys about the 'difficulties' to which he refers or is he simply making assumptions about them? Does he, or anyone, actually have any data about stress in your organisation. If they do, how do you compare the data against norms in other organisations? If you can answer these questions in detail, the Director may well be right. If you can't, you can challenge the validity of his assertions with the observation that his unfounded generalisations indicate precisely some reasons why policies are needed. P D Q

Posted By Adams777 Thank you both for your replies - the problem isn't one of whether a management system is in place for stress but whether that management system needs to be written up as a policy. I gave this as an example of the malaise I am facing. In general terms: As part of a health and safety management system first introduced into the firm about 4 years ago (upto then a management system did not exist)I wrote a series of policies covering quite a lot of subjects but am now being asked 'why do we need these policies' Just what do I say to this director? That it is the law (which legislation says so), that it is good practice (who says so), that if something goes wrong the enforcing agency will first look for policies and records etc. Just how do I answer these questions to managers and directors. I would like to give chapter and verse but again where does it say you have to have policies on anything let alone most things?

Posted By David Gault It is not actually illegal not to have a policy or procedure on stress. I am sure you are aware that the requirement for stress assessments comes from the Management Regs and HSAWA as assessing all the risks. The procedure would just have to say how and what you do while the policy just says what your intention is. All of which I think is teaching you to suck eggs as you seem to have gone along the right lines. In short - not illegal but helpful, especially if you have to show a court what you have done.

Posted By Tabs "Are these policies necessary?" If that is your base question, the base answer must be "Yes, as much as we need the policy on purchasing; expense claiming; hiring and firing". As far as I know there are no legal requirements for any company to have any of the above (or many others actually). Management needs two different types of action - preparation and reaction. If you have an on-going discipline problem fraught with issues and possible counter-argument, do you want to have to manage it "on the hoof" or follow clear written policies and procedures? If you have an employee that becomes stressed and starts missing time, making mistakes, arguing with people, or worse, do you want to manage it "on the hoof" or have already done the preparatory work and had it agreed by senior management so that you can invoke it? If you were writing a policy for what to do after a plane strike, or an earthquake I would tell you not to waste your time on the improbable - but in the 21st Century, stress will not be an implausible event. Being prepared is simply good management. Not using the stress policy will be a matter of good luck (or negligence). The costs of mishandling stress can be very high both financially and physically. In February the HSE issued an Improvement Notice (only the second in history) to a health trust : http://www.hse.gov.uk/no...s.asp?SF=CN&SV=301611623

Posted By Raymond Rapp There is of course the civil law aspect, where in the event of a claim for work-related stress it could be argued that the company had the policies and practices in place, which were hopefully followed by the company. Not everything is driven by regulations and criminal law, which incidentally, is very weak when it comes to stress and general well-being of employees.

Posted By Peter F. Why don't you ask the director how they manage them and write it into the policy then the policy would become a working document and the director would use it because that is how it is managed by the company. Explain the reasons why a risk assessment is required and tell him that the risk assessment will just reiterate the valuable way they treat employees at the moment.

Posted By Clare Gabriel 'You all need training'. Short sighted response considering the high payouts for stress. Include a few of those in your presentation and just maybe they will sit up and lsiten. Even better if it comes from your company solicitors!!!! Google recent stress caselaw - made even better by the fact that any stress caused by home environs can be included in settlements in found not to have dealt with it correctly. We can never win!!!!