Setting the standard for work related stress

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards for work related stress set out the sort of characteristics and culture an organisation should have in order to properly manage the risks from stress and poor employee wellbeing.

These clearly defined Standards cover six key areas of work. When managed poorly, these are known to contribute to health and wellbeing issues, lower productivity and increased absenteeism, presenteeism or sickness levels.

We’re talking about THE primary sources of stress at work. These Standards have been agreed to try and establish best practice, promote active discussion about stress within organisations and help employers simplify the risk assessment process.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to regularly monitor (through risk assessment, staff survey and similar mechanisms) how your employees feel about the following areas:

  • Demands – for example workload, work patterns and the work environment
  • Control – how much say a person has in the way they do their work
  • Support – for example, the amount of encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues
  • Relationships – promoting positive working, conflict resolution and dealing with unacceptable behaviour
  • Role – whether employees understand their role within the organisation and the structure is in place to ensure there are no conflicting roles, and no multiple or competing priorities.
  • Change – the way in which organisational change, of any size or scope, is managed and communicated within the organisation

It is a requisite of these Standards for work related stress, that over 70% of an organisations staff must agree that these key areas are being handled correctly and monitored regularly.

Not sure how your organisation is performing against these standards? Talk to me about undertaking a Stress Healthcheck to audit your staff wellbeing and stress-management procedures. Read more here…

Get in touch to see how I can help your organisation get on track with managing stress at work.
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