Stress Risk Assessments Your Name

Objectives At the end of this session you will be able to: Give a clear definition of stress and stress risk assessments Refer to a model for stress risk assessment Identify who is best to undertake a stress risk assessment Outline a range of interventions that might be used

Work Related Stress “By the term ‘work related stress’ we mean the process that arises where work demands of various types and combinations exceed the person’s capacity and capability to cope. Think of this as ‘bad work’. It is a significant cause of illness and disease and is known to be linked with high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover and other indicators of organisational underperformance - including human error.”

Risk Assessment A risk assessment is a process which systematically identifies causes of harm to employees. It enables an employer to clarify whether it is doing enough to protect employees or if it needs to take further steps.

5 Steps Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Identify the hazards Decide who might be harmed and how Step 3 Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions Step 4 Record your findings and implement them Step 5 Review your assessment and update

Stress Risk Assessment A stress risk assessment follows the same process as a ‘normal’ risk assessment except that the hazard (stress) is already known at the beginning of the exercise.

Precautions Outlining what the organisation is going to do with dates for action items to be reached.

Why carry out an SRA? Avoiding legal claims – Unfair dismissal Employer’s ‘duty of care’ Part of wellbeing programme Avoiding legal claims – Bullying & harassment Avoiding legal claims - Discrimination

Who should carry out the SRA? HR Line Manager A N Other Manager H&S Officer Wellbeing Champion External Person?

HSE Approach Demands Role Control Change Support Relationships

The Process 1 Demands Potential Workplace Stressor Individual Concern Risk (L/M/H) Control Measure What causes the individual to feel under unnecessary pressure?

The Process 2 Demands Potential Workplace Stressor Individual Concern Risk (L/M/H) Control Measure What causes the individual to feel under unnecessary pressure? Unnecessarily tight deadlines and frustration with people having known something is expected but not informing those who need to know in order to get things done. Constant changing of priorities and a lack of clarity.

The Process 3 Demands Potential Workplace Stressor Individual Concern Risk (L/M/H) Control Measure What causes the individual to feel under unnecessary pressure? Unnecessarily tight deadlines and frustration with people having known something is expected but not informing those who need to know in order to get things done. Constant changing of priorities and a lack of clarity. H It would be helpful for there to be some sort of structure where everyone sings from the same hymn sheet. Jim would prefer not to be told things on a Friday evening just before he leaves for the weekend. He would like clarity in terms of who sets his priorities.

The Process 4 Role Potential Workplace Stressor Individual Concern Risk (L/M/H) Control Measure Is there a clear reporting structure? Yes but people don’t stick to it. Stuff gets thrown at my team from all angles and that makes managing their workloads tricky. M

The Process 5 Role Potential Workplace Stressor Individual Concern Risk (L/M/H) Control Measure Is there a clear reporting structure? Yes but people don’t stick to it. Stuff gets thrown at Jim’s team from all angles and that makes managing their workloads tricky. M For individuals to stick to the reporting structure or keep Jim in the loop so that he can either challenge it or at least be aware of what his team are working on.

Recommendations Minimise Avoid Eradicate

Causes of Stress Internal External

Disability The definition of what constitutes a disability can be split into three parts:   the employee must be suffering from a {?????} or {?????} impairment the impairment must have a {?????} adverse effect on the ability to carry out {?????} {?????} activities the effect must be long-term, in other words have already lasted for at least {?????} months or be likely to last that long.

Disability The definition of what constitutes a disability can be split into three parts:   the employee must be suffering from a mental or physical impairment the impairment must have a substantial adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day to day activities the effect must be long-term, in other words have already lasted for at least 12 months or be likely to last that long.

Reasonable adjustments Physical Adjustments Provision of Equipment Reduction in Work Time Change to Work Hours Change in Responsibility

Objectives Now you can: Give a clear definition of stress and stress risk assessments Refer to a model for stress risk assessment Identify who is best to undertake a stress risk assessment Outline a range of interventions that might be used