STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE
HSE introduced stress code for businesses 19 June 2003
Businesses that ignore the high levels of stress that their employees are suffering could face legal action under a new Government initiative
Running your own small business has become a little more stressful. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has unveiled a new code which will make it easier for employees to win legal actions against bosses who do not take sufficient steps to relieve stress in the workplace.
The blueprint, named Management Standards for Stress, sets out six principles of good stress management in the workplace and, if a clear majority of staff between 65% and 85% - agree that the business does not meet these, it could form the basis of a legal claim against the employer.
The six standards seek to tackle the most likely sources of stress for employees and are as follows:
Demands: At least 85% of employees should feel that they can cope with the demands of their jobs.
Control: At least 85% of employees should feel that they are able to have a say about the way they do their work.
Support:At least 85% of employees should feel that they receive adequate information and support from their colleagues and superiors.
Relationships: At least 65% of employees should feel that they are not subjected to unacceptable behaviours (eg bullying) at work.
Role: At least 65% of employees should feel that they have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
Change: At least 65% of employees should feel that the organisation or business engages them frequently when undergoing an organisational change.
The cost of absenteeism as a result of stress is a major problem for the UKs businesses with up to 13.4m days lost each year, according to the HSEs figures.
Employees are already protected under Health and Safety legislation but cases of too much workplace stress have been difficult to prove and, to date, the HSE has not yet prosecuted any businesses. The six standards will act as a benchmark against which a business can be compared and may make claims of stress in the workforce easier to measure and prove in the event of a legal action against the employer.
The Health and Safety Commissions Bill Callaghan pointed out that the code is not in place to stifle the productivity of a normal, busy working environment but to tackle the serious problems that prolonged pressure on the workforce can cause. "There is a difference between the buzz people get from doing a busy and challenging job and an unreasonable pressure which can harm health, lead to absence and put additional strain on their colleagues trying to cope in an even more pressured environment," he said.
Callaghan also indicated that failing to tackle the problems associated with a very stressful work environment would prove to be costly in the long run, saying: "Stress is on everyones lips and business people are becoming aware of just how costly not dealing with this problem can be. Personally, I think handing them a tool to get them to develop good practice makes sense and the earlier the better.
"I know that this is not going to be easy but grasping this nettle can make for a successful business and a happier workforce," he added.
The code is currently being piloted and around 25 organisations have already signed up, including supermarket giant Sainsbury's, the Department of Work and Pensions and Bristol City Council. The project will continue until Autumn 2003, the results will then be evaluated and the findings published sometime in 2004.
The HSE is keen for other businesses and organisations to sign up to the project and this can be done via the HSE website.