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abes1988  
#1 Posted : 08 January 2020 13:28:29(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
abes1988

Hi,

I am currently pulling a brief powerpoint presentation together covering stress in the workplace, looking specifically looking at causes, indicators and control measures. The idea being that i will deliver the presentation to colleagues during one of our new year training days.

Has anybody done anything similar before? Im looking for ideas, sources of information etc.

Ill be honest, stress management (in the workplace) is something i have not covered before. Any help or guidance would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Dave5705  
#2 Posted : 08 January 2020 14:56:17(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Dave5705

Hi

a good start would be https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wbk01.pdf

but you will need to pull it all together yourself.

Hsquared14  
#3 Posted : 08 January 2020 15:05:31(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Hsquared14

Hi abes - I've pm'ed you.  I may be able to help.

Dave5705  
#4 Posted : 08 January 2020 15:44:48(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Dave5705

I'm sorry, Ive just looked at one I did a while ago, and it's too company branded to be of any use to anyone else.

Stress is such a massive topic, it's hard to be brief, but a few points to cover are:

Stress is a symptom, not an illness. It's usually related to anxiety or depression

An employer is not generally liable for stress unless the employee has indicated that they are suffering from stress. In other words, an employer is not expected to foresee stress, because stress is personal to the individual. Best advice is to conduct a stress survey. If a staff member informs you they are being injured through stress you owe them a higher standard of care. (remember Paris v Stepney BC?)

Investigate the Hatton Propositions

Sources of stress:

Job:working conditions/overload/time pressures/physical danger

Role: role unclear/conflicting role expectations/responsibility for others/role boundary conflicts

Career: over or under-promoted/hit the ceiling/poor job security

Organisation structure: no participation in decisions/lack of consultation/politics/budgets and limits

Relationships: with boss/collegues/subordinates/problem with delegating

Best way to reduce stress: increase employee autonomy and participation. Remember it won't make any difference that the management think they consulting, it only makes a difference if the employees KNOW they are being consulted.

Give employees information/training/decision involvement/hope!

A really big cause of stress is lack of knowledge, information and circumstances. 

Edited by user 09 January 2020 09:01:36(UTC)  | Reason: it didn't make sense!

thanks 6 users thanked Dave5705 for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 08/01/2020(UTC), abes1988 on 08/01/2020(UTC), jmaclaughlin on 09/01/2020(UTC), CptBeaky on 09/01/2020(UTC), nic168 on 09/01/2020(UTC), Gasman on 20/01/2020(UTC)
abes1988  
#5 Posted : 08 January 2020 17:07:15(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
abes1988

Thanks for the information Dave. 

Much appreciated.

Joe

neil88  
#6 Posted : 09 January 2020 02:08:28(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
neil88

As mentioned above the Hatton Propositions are interesting to read about

https://www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/employment/312-employment-features/11065-stress-testing-hatton-and-sutherland-ten-years-on

Another interesting article, or a case study for your training course is the impact of large scale company restructuring and how this needs to be managed.   

https://www.dw.com/en/france-orange-top-bosses-caused-employee-suicides-rules-court/a-51751140

Dave5705  
#7 Posted : 09 January 2020 08:58:57(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Dave5705

No problem Joe, glad to help.

If I can add one thing, and forgive me, I'm not proselytizing, but don't be tempted to fall into the common trap of thinking that stress-induced depressive illness is something that affects weak or fragile personalities. Quite the reverse.

If you think about it, there are people (we all know them) who are quick to complain, quick to refuse, belligerent types who will never push the boundaries or go the extra mile. They do their bit as they see it, and go home and never give it a second thought, it's someone else's problem. They will never suffer from work-related stress. It's the valued employees who become (what I like to call) citizens of the company, those who will do and take on anything thrown at them because they want everyone to succeed, want to be thought well of, and often get more and more responsibilities dumped on them because they don't complain.... they are the ones who are most likely to suffer stress. More succinctly, you have to care before you can get stressed over something.

So it's the employees who give the most you need to protect, often from themselves.

I recommend that anyone who really wants to get their head around this reads the work of Dr Tim Cantopher. No one says it better or makes it more understandable in layman's terms. Try 'The curse of the strong'.

regards

thanks 4 users thanked Dave5705 for this useful post.
SJP on 09/01/2020(UTC), CptBeaky on 09/01/2020(UTC), toe on 09/01/2020(UTC), lorna on 10/01/2020(UTC)
abes1988  
#8 Posted : 09 January 2020 10:44:50(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
abes1988

Dave5705,

I couldn't agree more with your post. Actually caring about your company and the work you produce can be taxing on many levels, both physically and mentally....

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