By Ann McCracken
Work-related or personal stress has the potential to negatively affect an individual’s psychological and physical health, as well as an organisation’s effectiveness. Increased absence, presenteeism and reduced productivity are the hallmarks related to organisations who have not got a handle on the concept of the causes of psychosocial risk in the workplace.
A recent European (EU-OSHA 2014) revealed that 51 % of workers find work-related stress to be common in their workplace and 4 in 10 workers think that stress is not handled well in their organisation. In 2011 the PAS 1010 was launched by the BSI, clearly defining the route for organisations to follow – starting with training the Senior Management in how to drive the management of psychosocial work related risk.
As a Stress Reduction consultant and trainer I am not aware that this initiative has engendered any momentum within the business community. It is primarily target at the Senior Management who are undoubtedly the key to reducing psychosocial risk and the corollary of that, which is increased productivity and colleagues who want to be in work.
Understanding what is stress is and what it is not, as well as having a clear pathway to measure stress and the effect of initiatives is essential ,to provide an evidence based approach to healthy staff who can learn to become resilient, innovative, supportive and consistent.
Many aspects of this topic will be presented and discussed at the forthcoming Symposium Events Summit which I have the honour of Chairing – see you there!
http://www.symposium.co.uk/shop/conferences/health-work-2014/
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