Developing a proactive approach to your work and your life.
Becoming proactive and aiming to prevent work-related stress provides an excellent opportunity for organisations to generate a culture of positive and healthy working practices and relationships. Progressive organisations now realise that it makes sound business sense to create a workplace characterised by employee involvement and commitment and whose stress levels are managed effectively.
In 2003 the Health and Safety Executive identified six categories of risk factors for work-related stress (seven, if the organisation’s culture is assessed as an additional factor).
The six risk factors are:
1. Demands – such as workload and exposure to physical hazards.
2. Control – how much say the person has in the way they do their work.
3. Support – the level of support provided by line management and peers.
4. Relationships – includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
5. Role – whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures that the person does not have conflicting roles.
6. Change – how organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the organisation.
The HSE also outlined the positive reasons for an organisation being proactive in preventing work-related stress. Recent research reveals that stress negatively affects business effectiveness, staff performance and productivity, staff turnover and attendance, employee recruitment and retention, customer satisfaction, organisational image and reputation, and potential litigation (see the HSE manual: “Real Solutions: Real People” 2003).
Work and Life... in balance...
We actively assist companies and organisations to address this issue – from conducting a risk assessment of work-related stress, to designing the solutions and delivering training and support services.
Before you become stressed - give us a call.
Procounsel Associates Ltd
Human Relations Consultancy and Training
Procounsel Associates Ltd., P.O. Box 3515, Glastonbury, Somerset, U.K. BA6 8ZP.
T: +44(0)1 458 833 178 F: +44(0)1 458 835 595 E: info@procounsel.co.uk
