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Good!
You answered yes to one or two of the questions. This means your organisation
has recognised that stress may exist in your workplace and has taken action to
address the problem. It is most likely that you answered "Yes" to having Stress Management Training and/or an Employee Assistance Programme available to staff in your organisation. We say that because most organisations have adopted a reactive rather than proactive approach to stress. If
you have not already done so, could we suggest you consider the following
questions and our comments. The answers to these, in our experience, usually
help employers to find the most appropriate route forward to (a) meet
their legal obligations and (b) reap the full benefits of reducing stress in the
workplace Has your organisation carried out a risk assessment? If
an assessment of the risk posed by stress in your workplace has not yet been
undertaken then this should be given serious consideration. Your Stress
Management Training and/or Employee Assistance Programme clearly indicate that
stress is recognised as being a potential problem, but... Do you know (a) How
widespread the problem is?...(b) What is causing it?...(c) Who is affected by
it?..(d) What it is costing the organisation?...(e) What is the best course of
action to take? These and other vital questions should be answered by a
Stress Survey or Audit. Visit our Stress Audits and Corporate
Strategy pages to see why this is our recommended starting point for establishing a strategy for managing workplace
stress.. Also see our Training Page for details of our IOSH
certificated training course 'Stress In Perspective: Risk Assessment and
Management' designed for staff responsible for Health and Safety. Have
major organisational changes taken place recently or are they in the offing? Organisational
changes such as downsizing and outsourcing are one of the commonest sources of
stress for employees. It is vital to obtain an up to date assessment of
what the staff's reaction to these are... Do they feel under more
pressure? Do they need more support? Not taking action to address
these issues can have serious consequences not only for the individuals
concerned but for the organisation as a whole. Visit the Facts & Figures and
Employer's Duties pages to see how other organisations are counting the
cost of inaction. Has other skills training
been considered to help staff cope with pressure? Training
Courses in complementary skills such as Assertiveness and Time Management help
staff to cope with the work situations they find stressful. An individual's
performance can be dramatically improved whilst reducing the negative effects of
stress on their health.
Thank you for taking the StressWatch test. We hope it has been interesting and helpful.
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Send mail to stressip@aol.com with
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