Stress at Work: Management Competencies

Stress at Work: Management Competencies

IOSH Qatar

Presenter: Dr. Farah Ahmed

Occupational Health and Wellbeing Consultant Founder and CEO of Noor Corporate Health

Bringing wellness into a new light

Agenda• What is stress and why it is important?

• Causes of stress at work

• Issue - Work Life Balance

• Risk Assessing for Stress in the workplace

• Management Competencies for Stress

• Action Plan

• Q&A


Questions

• What is stress?

• Are Employers and HSE professionals responsible for managing stress at work?

Photo by Ludovic Migneault on Unsplash


https://unsplash.com/@dargonesti?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

https://unsplash.com/s/photos/curious?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

Adverse Reaction people have to excess pressures/ demands

• Are we responsible?

• Yes!

• Why?

Stress


Photo by Usman Yousaf on Unsplash

https://unsplash.com/@usmanyousaf?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

https://unsplash.com/s/photos/stress?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

Stress - Workplace Hazard• Short & Long-Term Effects

• Health

• Safety

• Performance

• Well-being

• Organisational vs Individual support

Psychological

Physical Social

Financial


Causes of Stress at Work

Demand

Role

Support

Relationships Uncertainty

Control


1. Arguments

2. Decreased performance

3. More complaints and grievances

4. Higher staff turnover

5. More reports of stress

6. More sickness absence

Signs of Stress in Teams


Photo by CDC on Unsplash

https://unsplash.com/@cdc?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

https://unsplash.com/s/photos/team-stress?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

Management Competencies: Technical Competencies

OHS Management for Stress

1. Secure commitment

2. Create Steering Groups

3. Develop a Plan

4. Communication and Organisational Stress Policy

Senior Leadership

Employees

Employee Representatives


• Risk Assessments

• Holistic Picture

• Root causes

• Explore Organisational Level Issues

Risk Management for StressManagement Competencies: Technical Competencies

• Tools:

• Surveys: Workplace Stress

• Data - Sickness Absence/ Productivity/ Performance Reviews/ Staff turnover/ Diagnoses/ Referrals

• Toolbox Talks or Focus Groups



Risk Management for Stress


Primary: Eliminate the source of the

health risk

Secondary: Early Detection of adverse

health effects

Tertiary: Minimize effect of clinical

disease


Risk Management for Stress


Core and Behavioural Competencies

1. Advice for Leadership and Business Continuity

2. Strategy and Planning

3. Influencing, Collaboration and Negotiation

Management Competencies


Action Plan


Time & Work/Life Balance?

• Many different definitions “work vs non work”, “conflict”, “fulfilment”, “perceived control”

• HSE: “working hours that are sufficiently short to ensure an individuals’ desired balance between work and family or home life is achieved and maintained.”

• ILO: “decent work”

Demand

Control


Demand

Control

“Decent Work”5 Dimensions of Decent Working Time

1. Healthy Working Time

2. Family - Friendly Working Time

3. Gender Equality through Working Time

4. Productive Working Time

5. Choice and Influence regarding Working Time


Demand

Standard: Employees are able to cope with the demands of the job

1. Reduction of Regular LONG Working Hours

2. Flexible Work Hours - avoid “unsocial hours”

3. ‘Illegitimate Tasks’ - workload/ deadlines

4. Breaks

Management Competencies for Stress at Work


• Job Design

• Work at own pace

• Negotiate shifts

• Active decision making


Control

Standard: Employees are able to cope with the demands of the job


Standard: Employees indicate that they understand their role and responsibilities

1. Clear roles

2. Clear Structure

3. Thorough Inductions

4. Avoid Competing Demands


Role


Standard: Employees indicate that they receive adequate information and support from their colleagues and superiors

1. Policies and Procedures

2. Know how to access resources

3. Regular and constructive feedback


Support


Standard: Employees indicate that they are not subjected to unacceptable behaviours eg bullying at work

• Line Manager Relationship - Supervisor Training

• Relationship focused vs task focused

• Transformational vs Transactional

• Behaviour affects Mental & Physical Health of employee


Relationships


Standard: Employees indicate that the organisation engages them frequently when undergoing an organisational change

1. Inform

2. Include

3. Timescales and direct impact


Uncertainty


1. Stress is a workplace hazard

2. Role of OH&S to risk assess and advise on strategies and policies

3. Top Level support

4. Time is a crucial factor

5. Supervisor Training

6. Collaborative Approach - re-shaping and re-designing work

Take home points


References:

1. Work-related stress www.hse.gov.uk/stress

2. Competency Framework all competencies IOSH

3. Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work

4. Decent Work - ILO

5. Workplace Wellbeing

6. https://www.internationalworkplace.com/iosh-training/managing-safely-refresher

7. How to tackle work-related stress - HSE UK

Thank you!


http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress

https://www.internationalworkplace.com/iosh-training/managing-safely-refresher

For more information on supporting your workplace:

www.noorcorporatehealth.com

+971 50 490 7971

[email protected]

Contact us


http://www.noorcorporatehealth.com

mailto:[email protected]

100%

80%

30%

Discretionary Effort50%

Effort to Keep Job

Maximum Effort

Expected

Employee Burnout

Source: Adapted Hesketh, Cooper & Ivy (2017)


Effort & Work

Stress at Work: Management Competencies

Documents

Transcript of Stress at Work: Management Competencies