News
Health & Safety Update (February 2010)
Line Management Behaviour and Stress at Work
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has
produced a booklet with updated advice on stress at work and the
influence that management behaviour has on such matters. It is
aimed at managers and human resources (HR) personnel.
The booklet addresses the following:
- what stress is
- why it needs to be tackled at work
- what is already being done about it
- the significance of line managers in the context of stress
management.
A sample 'stress indicator framework' is also provided, and this
can be incorporated into a company's stress management
processes.
The key points are outlined below:
What is stress?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines stress as an
adverse reaction to excessive pressures or demands. The
booklet makes a clear distinction between pressure, which can have
a motivational effect, and stress, which is what tends to happen
when that pressure becomes excessive.
The problem of stress at work
The following give an example of why work-related stress at work
needs to be tackled:
- around one in six employees say they find their work very or
extremely stressful
- over a third of all new ill-health incidents are reportedly due
to work-related stress
- stress has been found to be the primary cause of long-term
absence in non-manual workers
- 13.5 million working days were lost to stress, depression and
anxiety in 2007-08.
What is being done?
The HSE has published national Management Standards for
work-related stress. These give employers guidance on best
practice, and have been designed to help simplify stress risk
assessments, promote partnership working on stress-related issues
and provide a basis by which organisations can assess their
performance in addressing the causes of stress. They are also
intended to contribute to a reduction in stress-related ill-health
and sickness absence.
The significance of line management
Although the Management Standards are health and safety driven,
it is line managers and HR professionals who are likely to be
responsible for implementing them at work. To do this effectively,
they will need to understand what stress is and what skills are
needed to manage employees in a manner that keeps stress to a
minimum.
The influence that managers can have on stress is well
known. Indeed, a recent absence management survey carried out
by the CIPD revealed that management style was one of the top three
causes. Managers can contribute to stress in a number ways, eg
through unsuitable behaviour to employees, but they can also have a
positive influence, namely by:
- preventing working in hazardous conditions
- ensuring individuals are not subjected to excessive
workloads
- identifying stress early when it occurs and taking steps to
reduce it
- carrying out stress risk assessments.
What line managers need to do to prevent stress
A team of occupational therapists, with the support of the CIPD,
HSE and Investors in People, undertook research into what types of
behaviours managers need to be able to demonstrate in order to
prevent and mitigate stress.
The findings of this research are incorporated into the
document's stress indicator framework, but suffice to say that the
following virtues were found to be important in minimising
stress:
- integrity – treating team members with honesty and respect
- calmness – remaining calm and consistent under pressure
- consideration – avoiding unrealistic demands and unworkable
deadlines, giving positive as well as
- negative feedback, and showing consideration for the work-life
balance
- good communication – communicating job objectives clearly
- adopting a rational approach to problems, and dealing with them
promptly
- the ability to encourage participation – giving employees the
appropriate level of responsibility
- accessibility – being available to talk to when needed
- empathy – listening to employees and trying to understand their
viewpoints.
Manager development
The booklet makes the point that many of the competencies listed
in the stress indicator framework could be classed as general
management skills. Even so, it is probable that they may not have
been assessed and developed to management level within an
organisation. The revised advice and indicator framework are
intended as a tool for helping managers to become more effective
stress managers.
The following are listed as being central to the development of
an effective programme for managers in this respect:
- establishing a steering group to oversee the process
- integrating the process with existing initiatives and
policies
- good communication
- obtaining senior management endorsement
- establishing a clear business case and link between positive
management behaviour and positive outcomes.
The booklet can be downloaded at
/www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/health/stress/stress.htm
Mentor can also advise you on workplace stress. Please the
Advice Service for more information.