The Engineering Employers Federation
(EEF) has produced a best practice online guide for employers and employees.
Managing Stress at Work is available online from www.eef.org.uk, and
provides details of good practice and practical actions that employers and
managers can carry out to deal with the issues of stress in the workplace. The
guidance is based on the experience of manufacturing businesses which are using
these strategies.
As part of its campaign
to raise health and safety in the workplace as an issue of competitiveness, the
EEF is stressing that positive action in dealing with stress at work can bring
benefits to business as a whole.
The EEF says that by
following the guide, employers will be better able to manage stress at work
which in turn will lead to a reduction in absenteeism, increased work quality
and performance, improved relations with customers, colleagues and suppliers
and reduced staff turnover.
This guidance also
provides organisations with clear details on what exactly stress is and how
they can spot signs, professionally, intellectually and emotionally, of people
who may be suffering with stress.
Gary Booton, EEF health
and safety manager said: "Managing stress in business is a shared
responsibility. Employees and managers need to work together to identify
problems and appropriate solutions. Work may be part of the problem but it is
clearly part of the solution."
Elizabeth Gyngell, head
of health strategy management & research at the Health and Safety
Executive, said:
"We are pleased to
see the EEF sharing its guidance in support of this year’s European Week for
Health and Safety. This important week is a valuable opportunity to raise
awareness of stress and encourage practical management solutions to prevent
it."
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