Careers: the stress test

Dare we say it, but Christmas is fast approaching and we all know there is nothing more stressful than the countdown to the festive break. Pressures rise as deadlines loom to get deals across the line and finish the year in a strong position.

Of course, pressure is part and parcel of all work and a certain amount of it is needed to motivate and inspire staff. But high levels of stress can often decrease productivity among staff because of a range of symptoms, including poor concentration, difficulty sleeping, nausea and palpitations.

And if stress is left untreated and allowed to increase, it can lead to more serious mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, and can sometimes lead to drug and alcohol dependency. It has also been linked to physical health problems, including heart disease, back pain and gastrointestinal issues.

Work-related stress is a significant problem in the UK. It affects more than 430,000 workers and costs the economy an estimated £70bn-£100bn a year (including healthcare fees).

Mental health charity Mind suggests that as many as one in five people have taken a day off work because of stress, which means about 10.4m working days a year are lost to the illness. One in 10 people have felt the need to resign because of stress.

This week saw the ISMA host National Stress Awareness Day. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Working and Living Conditions, one-quarter of workers in Europe feel stressed at work all or most of the time, and a similar proportion say work has a negative effect on their health.

A survey by the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management found that long hours were the main cause of stress.

Barry Holt, director of policy and research at the IIRSM, says: “We all have a tendency to work longer than our contracted hours from time to time, but the problem occurs when long hours become the norm, leaving no reserves for times of emergency.”

Working long hours has become something of a culture in today’s society, with mobile working seeing many people continue to work well into the evening, as soon as they wake up and when on holiday. In real estate, when a deal is at a critical point – and particularly with the increase in overseas investors targeting the UK – some agents can find themselves on call almost 24/7.

So what measures can employers take to ease stress levels among their staff and keep productivity levels high?

Guidelines to managing work stress

Although there is no specific legislation about tackling stress at work, employers have a general duty of care under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1989) to take steps to eliminate or control the risk of stress.

The Health & Safety Executive has come up with a range of standards to help employers manage stress properly. These cover six primary sources of stress at work:

DEMANDS

An employer should:

Provide staff with adequate and achievable demands in relation to the agreed hours of work.
Match people’s skills and abilities to the job demands.
Make sure jobs are designed to be within employees’ capabilities.
Make sure concerns about work environment are addressed.

CONTROL

Employees should:

Have control over their pace of work where possible.
Be encouraged to use their skills and initiative to do their work.
Be encouraged to develop new skills to help them undertake new and challenging pieces of work.
Have a say on when breaks can be taken.
Be consulted over their work patterns.

SUPPORT

An employer should:

Have policies and procedures in place to support employees adequately.
Have systems in place to enable and encourage managers to support staff.
Make employees aware of available support systems.
Provide regular and constructive feedback.

RELATIONSHIPS

An employer should:

Promote positive behaviours at work to avoid conflict.
Have agreed policies and procedures in place to prevent/resolve unacceptable behaviour.

ROLE

An employer should:

Ensure, as much as possible, that the different requirements it places upon employees are compatible.
Provide information to enable employees to understand their role and responsibilities.
Ensure the requirements placed upon employees are clear.
Ensure systems are in place to enable employees to raise concerns about uncertainties or conflicts in their role/responsibilities.

CHANGE

An employer should:

Provide employees with timely information to enable them to understand the need for proposed changes.
Ensure adequate employee consultation on changes and provide opportunities for staff to influence proposals.
Make employees aware of probable impact of changes to their jobs.
Provide a timetable for changes.
Provide access to support during changes.

Employees who feel they are suffering from stress should be encouraged to talk to their line manager, an occupational health professional or their GP.