Stress at Work

Tony Briscoe IBEC

Cover
Perception and Definition EU

reality

Agreement under social dialogue

Compensation

Intervention
Policies

Conclusion

Policies
Reference Full

to Safety Statement to come forward

support and not a personal problem or measures expressed which are to it arises inevitably as part of the job

Encourage people Means

prevent unnecessary stress

Where

greater investment considered in

support/training/selection/management

Perception or reality
Extent of EU

workplace stress is a moot point

consider more than 1:5 suffer the experience figures consider it @ 1.5% of all OIB

OIB

claims allowed 160 out of 11,096 in 2003

CSO

claim 6,300 cases out of 33,000 ill health survey 7% of companies - stress illness
differ and affect results

second highest cause of ill health at work

IBEC
Methodologies

Statistics suggest
Perception is Perception of Illness

an issue and significantly so experience increasing

or injury effect relatively low compared

with other injuries and ill health from work

May

have impact on absenteeism

is an issue in terms of what is

Definition

considered harmful stress

Major

EU concern and political

Defining stress
Pure

stress not post traumatic stress which is between a persons perception of

different
Mismatch

demands and their ability to cope with those

demands
Stress

is not necessarily a negative experience

not an illness - is needed to survive - but prolonged

exposure to excessive stress may cause ill health

EU Agreement
Why

an EU Agreement would be a Directive from the

Alternative

Commission
Process

involved lengthy negotiation at EU over 8 months concluded in May 2004 only S D Agreement ( Tele-working)

Union of Employers and Workers level

Process

signed by participants in September 2004

Second

Agreement criteria -Employers

Deal

only with Occ. Stress and describes it to determine and manage solutions which respect mgmt. Prerog.

Ways Not

limit it to organisational issues only

Proposes

Account of

individual factors
individuals

Responsibility of

Focuses
No

on the generally recognised causes

new consultation/information responsibily

Main Elements of Agreement

Introduction- not Individuals

affecting all workplaces

feeling unable can include

perception
Stress

is not a disease confirmed

External factors
Menu

can affect stress not just work

not exhaustive list words used can-

may
Only

if a problem identified action is to be taken

Measures examples
Can Part

be collective or individual of a stress policy or specific targeted communication

Management and Training

Information and
All

consultation

measures determined by employer with

them being carried out with participation and

workers collaboration

Compensation
Authorities Three

to date have set standard

elements: Psychiatric illness/ Foreseeable/ judgement PTSD five conditions:

Work related
Hamilton
Must
Must

actually have suffered nervous shock

have suffered recognisable psychiatric illness must be caused by the defendants act or

Shock

omission

Compensation continued
Must Must

prove causal link i.e illness was shock induced show defendant owed duty of care not to cause

reasonably foreseeable injury in the form of nervous

shock to the plaintiff
Both

pure stress claims and PTSD claims will not be

dealt with by PIAB except in the context of personal physical injury be involved and PTSD associated

Intervention
Active
Work

life balance policies and support

Task

design decision latitude

and cohesive team building

Communications Feedback

Reactive
Counselling and Training

EAP

in coping assertiveness time management and IR factors to be considered

Perception

Conclusion
Whatever Most At

its not going to go away

workplaces will have instances a policy

least reactive/ active response

Develop

Have
Look

supports available
out for compensation potential

Train

managers to address measures observe

and respond

Stress at Work
Tony Briscoe IBEC