Австралия (охрана труда) К стрессу работника ведет, в том числе, неопределенность того, когда наступит конец рабочего дня, когда начальник или клиент фирмы может позвонить домой в нерабочее время

Home | About Us 7 key tips to reduce work-related stress Tuesday, 10th February, 2015, by Alanna Furlan In today's Health & Safety Bulletin: 7 key tips to reduce work-related stress How to ensure your workers don’t become burnt out Exclusive discount for H&S Bulletin subscribers Dear Reader, Stress is an increasingly common issue in many workplaces, not helped by the fact that many businesses now expect workers to continue working outside of regular hours, and to remain in contact by phone and email. But stress carries a number of health risks – both mental and physical – including heart disease, anxiety and depression. That’s why it’s necessary to take the appropriate steps to monitor and reduce stress among your workers before it becomes an issue. 7 key tips to reduce work-related stress Take the following steps to reduce the stress of your workers: offer workers regular rest breaks, including breaks between shifts; ensure that workloads remain at an appropriate level;  set limits on the amount of overtime someone works; train managers on how to identify and assist workers suffering from stress; develop and implement policies that create a supportive work environment, e.g. grievance and conflict resolution procedures; provide access to support services, such as counselling; and offer workers flexible hours to satisfy competing demands, e.g. child caring responsibilities. In today’s Health & Safety Bulletin, Michael Selinger will discuss how extended working hours is a contributing factor to workplace stress, and the steps you can take to ensure your workers don’t become burnt out. Exclusive discount for bulletin subscribers Before we get to Michael’s article, I’d like to remind you about an upcoming keynote address that I’m sure you’ll be interested in. Bob Jenson is a former US government crisis communications expert who is currently touring Australia to share his knowledge and insight from his experiences dealing with major international crises and disasters. He will use his keynote address to explain how you can integrate his ideas in your own risk management and incident response systems. These events have been organised by the Risk Management Institution of Australasia, who have generously offered an exclusive discount for Health & Safety Bulletin subscribers. You can find out more and register here. Just use the promo code crisis3 to receive your discount. See you on Thursday, Alanna Furlan Editor Health & Safety Bulletin .................................................Advertisement................................................. Click here to find out how to make sure you’re fully equipped to conduct an effective workplace investigation - without creating any legal risks for your business. ........................................................................................................................... Increased working hours causing workplace stress By Michael Selinger Editor-in-Chief, Health & Safety Handbook While the nature of work can impose stress on your staff, a survey by the Australian Psychological Society last year suggests that the uncertainty of when the working day will end is also a significant stressor. Increasingly, the working pattern for Australians has changed over the decades and the regular 9 to 5 job is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. The requirement to be on call outside of standard office hours and at the demand of customers or pressure to meet deadlines has meant that the working day has been extended, often with no clear cut-off time. One of the main issues that has added to workers’ stress levels is the requirement to meet other commitments, such as child care, social activities or appointments while remaining uncertain about when the working day will end. Staff are also prone to keeping their phones on in the evenings and in many organisations there is an expectation that staff will be contactable at all times. Stress caused by these increased demands can lead to poor performance, absences from work due to ill health and even workers’ compensation claims. In conjunction with other measures to reduce stress levels in your organisation, consider when staff are required to work till and whether the nature of your business can accommodate more certainty for people as to when they will finish each day. Improving the level of certainty in that regard can have significant ongoing benefits for your staff, and in turn your organisation. “Go home and switch off the phone” is an important message you should tell your staff to help ensure their ongoing health and wellbeing. Other steps you can take include: scheduling meetings earlier in the day so that staff are able to leave on time; organising work flow so that tasks performed towards the end of the day are less time-consuming or able to be suspended until the following day; and encouraging customers to contact your organisation during certain hours, with any after-hours contact to be responded to the following day. Warm regards, Michael Selinger  Editor-in-Chief Health & Safety Handbook Like the Health & Safety Bulletin? Check out our other free bulletins: Workplace BulletinGet the very latest employment law tips, ideas, news and practical advice sent straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up now. 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