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?