Organisational Stress

Stress is defined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them”. It can affect organisational efficiency, lead to conflict, business goals are harder or impossible to achieve, the well-being of employees is compromised, and the ‘bottom line’ suffers as a result. There is also the legal imperative to consider. To comply with the law, companies must assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities and take measures to control that risk. Doing a proper risk assessment for stress should help you avoid prosecution and litigation.

We offer a ‘Company Health Check’, to small and medium-sized businesses, which takes a bespoke diagnostic approach, looking at how stress might be affecting the business, and what needs to happen to improve the situation. Interventions range from

1-1 coaching/stress management for all staff
1-1 coaching/stress management for particular staff
Full diagnostic analysis (including use of the HSE Stress Management Standards)
Company Stress Survey
Group/team facilitation
Training (e.g. in stress awareness, communication skills, assertiveness skills)
Mediation
Introduction of a company stress policy (with procedures)

The Health Check is a way of ensuring that you’re as aware as you can be of what’s happening in the organisation, and if there are ‘pressure points’ that need addressing. It’s also good management practice to listen to your staff, and a good way of letting them know that you are listening, that you’re interested in their feedback, and that their input is important. As a result, staff feel valued, and are likely to feel more involved and motivated.

Whether stress is directly work-related, or is down to outside factors – current life events (e.g. pressure at home), or pre-disposition of the individual for example – it will impact adversely on the individual, and on the business. For good business, legal and moral reasons, tackling stress is a must.

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