October 2005
National Stress Awareness Day
2nd November 2005 is National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD) and to coincide with this year's event the International Stress Management Association UK (ISMA UK) is joining forces with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to host the Making the Management Standards Work conference.
The main aims of this years conference are:
- To introduce the HSE Management Standards and explore how they can be best introduced in your organisation
- To learn about the long term business benefits of effectively managing work-related stress
- To share good practice and lessons learnt with others
- To explain the HSE Stress Programme’s plan for the future
Work-related stress, depression or anxiety is the leading cause of working days lost through work-related injury or ill health, with an estimated 12.5 million days a year lost in 2003/4. Each reported case of stress leads to an average of 28.5 days lost. With input from a range of businesses, professional bodies and unions, the HSE has developed the Management Standards for Stress to help employers manage sensibly the risks from work-related stress. These standards are designed to help employers and employees work together to gauge stress levels, compare themselves with other organisations, and identify solutions.
What is Work-Related Stress and what can you do about it?
Work-related Stress is the result of a conflict between the role and needs of the individual employee and organisational, personal or ergonomic factors in their work place. There can also be an unacceptable tension between the demands of work and the individuals' life outside work. Stress is also often typified by a lack of control over conditions at work.
Work-related stress is a symptom of an organisational problem, not an individual weakness. Stress is the natural reaction to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on people. In the UK, as many as one in five people are suffering from high levels of work-related stress.
A report prepared by the Institute of Occupational Health, for the Health and Safety Executive, showed that almost 90% of respondents felt that stress could cause work-related illness. However, only 27.2% felt that work-related stress was a problem for their organisation. The writers of the report state "perhaps this reflects a greater perception of the problem than exists in reality, or alternatively a reluctance to admit a problem 'in-house'".
What Can You Do?
If you want more information on work related stress and an understanding of how it can be managed within your own organisation contact Steve Stones on 024 76 323260. We are able to provide confidential advice and support to create a less stressful working environment.
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