FYI > ---------- > From: MichaelP[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > SUNDAY INDEPENDENT (London) June 13 > > Bosses under fire over stress at work > > By Rachel Sylvester > > Bullying bosses, unrealistic deadlines and excessive working hours will be > outlawed under a new, legally binding code being planned by ministers. > They are convinced that workplace stress is fast becoming a major health > problem. > > Whitehall sources accept that the move will almost certainly lead to a > spate of legal claims against companies and will "upset'' many employers. > But they are convinced that tough action is essential. The Health and > Safety Executive has already written a draft code, warning that stress can > be "far more damaging" to people in the long term than physical illness. > > Companies could be forced to shorten the hours worked by their staff, take > on more people to relieve existing workers or improve workplace conditions > in order to fulfil their duty to reduce stress levels. A series of public > meetings is planned next month to assess the scale of the problem and draw > up proposals for tackling it. > > The move follows a government-backed study which found that almost a > quarter of workers claims to suffer "extreme stress" in the office. About > 1,000 of the 4,000 employees interviewed, who ranged from cleaners to > surgeons, said they had suffered physical or mental ill-health as a result > of workplace pressure. They reported symptoms including tiredness, > headaches, sleeplessness and excessive drinking. > > Trades unions have long called for companies to be forced to take > responsibility for stress in the workplace. However, the Confederation of > British Industry argues that companies should not be made to pay for > stress which workers bring into the office from home. > > The Government believes that a legally binding "approved code of practice" > - formally defining stress and bringing it under health and safety > legislation - is the best way forward. This would mean that a court could > rule that an employer had broken the law if it did not follow the > guidelines. > > Insiders acknowledge that it could be difficult to define "stress" - as an > activity deemed stressful by one person could be a stimulating challenge > to another. However, ministers are determined to tackle a problem which > they believe is undermining the British workforce and believe that the > problems can be overcome. "Stress can be as dangerous as a piece of > equipment in the workplace," a Whitehall source said. > > The draft code, already drawn up by the Health and Safety Executive, > defines stress as "the reaction people have to excessive pressures or > other types of demand placed on them. It arises when they worry that they > can't cope". > > It says that symptoms associated with stress include anxiety, depression > and heart disease, and employers have a responsibility to reduce their > employees' exposure to such risk. "Stress is not the same as ill-health," > the draft states. "But in some cases, particularly where pressures are > intense and continue for some time, the effects of stress can be more > sustained and far more damaging, leading to psychological problems and > physical ill-health." > > The code, which would have to be approved by an independent panel of > experts, is also likely to identify things which could exacerbate stress - > including bullying, organisational style and working conditions. > > Employers will be told to tackle these problems at source and train > managers to spot work-related stress in their staff. The draft code says > that even "if it is not reasonably practicable to prevent work-related > stress at source completely, employers should seek to mitigate, as far as > is reasonably practicable, the consequences of the stress that remains." > > ** > > > -- > For MAI-not (un)subscription information, posting guidelines and > links to other MAI sites please see http://mai.flora.org/ >
