Helping Great Britain to work well - UNISON · depression) at a conservatively estimated cost of...
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Health and Safety Executive
Health and Safety Executive
Helping Great Britain to work well
Work-related stress and the Management Standards
approach
A new health and safety system
strategy
• The new system is based on six key
themes as a basis for agreeing a
collective way forward
• These have received widespread industry
support
• By acting together the new system will
seek to widen ownership, improve
productivity and the health and safety of
the workforce
Strategic themes
• Acting together: Promoting broader
ownership of health and safety in Great
Britain
• Tackling ill health: Highlighting and
tackling the costs of work related ill
health
• Managing risk well: Simplifying risk
management and helping business to
grow
Strategic themes
• Supporting small employers: Giving SME‟s
simple advice so they know what they have
to do
• Keeping pace with change: Anticipating and
tackling new health and safety challenges
• Sharing our success: Promoting the
benefits of Great Britain‟s world-class health
and safety system
What is Work-related Stress ?
Work-related stress:
• is an organisational issue and not an individual fault;
• occurs when demands at work are beyond the worker‟s capacity to cope with them.
HSE defines work-related stress as:
“…the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them.”
Stress and the law
• Employers have a legal responsibility under
the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and
Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999 to ensure the health, safety
and welfare at work of their employees
• This includes minimising the risk of stress-
related illness or injury to employees.
Work-related stress
HSE stats – 2015/16
• 11.7 million days lost due to the condition (WRS, anxiety,
depression) at a conservatively estimated cost of £5.2
billion to GB each year, with over £1billion costs to
employers
• 488,000 self-reported cases, including 224,000 „new‟
cases (started in last 12 months)
• 37% of all work-related ill-health cases
• 45% of all working days lost due to ill health.
• The public sector has the highest incidence of reported
WRS, and will be a key target for HSE‟s plans.
Work-related stress programme
• Review guidance and tools (inc. the MS indicator tool)
• Insight/research
• Update evidence base
• SME tool for managing stress
• Stakeholder engagement – working in partnership
• Sector pilots (inc. Education, Health, Prisons)
• Communications strategy to raise awareness and secure
engagement and practical action
Work-related Stress pilots
Evidence based focus on Public Services namely:
- Education
- Health service
- Prison service
Partnership working will involve; engagement,
intervention, development of practical, sector focused
solutions underpinned by the Management Standards
approach
Infographics Poster
• Specific statistical data
relating to stress, anxiety and
depression.
• Number of sufferers;
• The number of working days
lost both per case and
annually across industry; and
• The overall cost to GB plc
• Identifies the work factors and
worse effected sectors
Management Standards Workbook
• Step by step guide to
completing a risk assessment
for work related stress,
anxiety and depression
• Focusses on the
Management Standards
approach
• Includes advice, guidance
and tips for practical
application
• The workbook will be web
based to allow for flexibility in
updating and maintenance
• We will welcome ongoing
user feedback
Management Standards risk
assessment approach
Primary workplace stressors
• Demands
• Control
• Support
• Relationship
• Role
• Change
Non-work related causes of stress
• Financial difficulties
• Relationship issues
• Caring for ill or elderly relatives, partner or
child
• Bereavement
[Not an exhaustive list]
Managing work-related stress –
key principles
• Monitor factors that might suggest there is a problem with stress-related illness in the organisation
• Ensure there is a health and safety policy that addresses the issue of stress in the workplace
• Ensure effective risk assessments have been carried out, monitored regularly and recommendations are implemented and resourced
• Plan for stress-related risks when embarking on organisational change
Effective management of stress
• Stress can be managed like any other occupational
safety & health risk
• Using practical tools and guidance - HSE Management
Standards to facilitate effective, proactive management
and employee engagement
http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/
Roles in managing stress
• Board level commitment
• Undertake assessment of the level of risk to employees and develop plans to manage and control risks identified risk
• Promote the pro-active management of stress and lead by example in demonstrating a commitment to engaging employees in the process
• Consider „stress‟ when planning any change within the organisation
• Provide adequate resources and time for genuine consultation
Roles in managing stress
Employees and their representatives:
• Play a vital role in identifying and helping with the management of stress
• Will be best placed to identify issues that create problems
• Will notice early signs of behavioural change and stress in colleagues
• Have the trust and confidence to raise issues with management/others
• Through engagement ensure issues are addressed and practical solutions are implemented
Communicate and inform
• Focus on a proactive, preventative approach in tackling work-related stress, mental ill health and wellbeing through engagement and awareness raising
• Involve all stakeholders in the planning and implementation of actions to prevent and reduce work-related stress
• Encourage employees to look after their own health and safety
Health, Wellbeing and Stress
• There are many “wellbeing” initiatives that
are available to support individuals such
as; resilience and mindfulness training,
counselling, exercise classes, dietary
advice etc.
• These are not preventative and will only
help employers comply with their duties
where they are used with an organisational
preventative process
Survey questions
• Overall, to what extent would you say that work-
related stress is a health problem within your
organisation?
• Does your organisation currently assess the level
of risk to employees from work-related stress, as
part of its health and safety assessment regime?
• Does your organisation currently use the
"Management Standards" (MS) approach, in order
to manage work-related stress in the workplace?
Survey questions
• What action(s), if any, does your
organisation currently take to tackle work-
related stress?
• In general, to what extent, if at all, would
you say these action(s) have been
effective for your organisation?
How you can get involved
• You can contact us on issues relating to stress at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/contacts.htm
• Stay abreast of developments by signing up for our stress
e-bulletin at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/ebulletin/index.htm
• Share ideas, raise questions or take part in discussions,
surveys or user testing of tools and guidance via the HSE
Stress Forum at:
http://webcommunities.hse.gov.uk/connect.ti/group/stress
_solutions/grouphome
Thank you
Any questions?