25 May 2004 - New Stress "Non-Legislative Yardstick" Campaign for Businesses Launched Today
Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), has today launched an innovative three month consultation campaign at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference. The campaign asks managers and employers for their views on proposals to reduce work-related stress.
The proposals are based around a set of Management Standards that will enable employers to gauge stress levels, identify causes and work with employees to resolve any difficulties. The Management Standards are not new regulations: they are a non-legislative yardstick to help organisations meet their existing duty of care and their duty to assess the risks to work-related stress.
Stress accounts for over 13 million days lost in UK industry a year, and costs society as a whole about £3.7 billion a year. In 2001/2, over half a million individuals in Britain experienced stress at levels that made them ill, as reported by the most recent Labour Force Survey.
Bill Callaghan commented:
"The HSC has recognised the need for action and designated stress as one of our priorities. We’re not about eliminating all stress or pressure in the workplace. Rather we want to help employers recognise and manage the risks sensibly. The good news is that the core of any solution lies in good management, and in employers working together with staff and their representatives to develop solutions that work in practice."
The Standards consist of six main factors that contribute to work-related stress:
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demands
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control
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support
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relationships
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role
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change
The HSE says:
"We are working hard to
help tackle issues through good job design and people management. HSE cannot
do this alone. We need employers, employees, and their representatives to
visit our website and participate in this consultation."
The Standards, an introductory video
and supporting materials are available on HSE’s website
here.
