Dental Tribune UK Edition, October 11-17, 2010, No.25 Vol.4

Stress, strain and recovery The forces leading to workplace stress are here to stay October 11-17, 201020 DCPs United Kingdom Edition M ental health profes- sionals frequently highlight the causes and effects of stress in the work- place. This is particularly rele- vant in the current financial cli- mate as many employers need to balance their books by reducing the size of their workforce. Whether workforce down- sizing occurs through natural wastage or redundancies, we all know people whose workload has increased substantially to cover the duties of one or more colleagues who are no longer employed. We also know that in- creased workload and resulting stress, will before long take its toll our wellbeing. Protecting staff Although the harsh realities of business finance cannot be ig- nored, neither can the effects of stress as a result of over- stretching the workforce. Many employers would be wary of making a job offer to an appli- cant suffering from a stress- related condition. Therefore, it makes sense that once they employ someone they take care to provide a healthy working environment in which they can thrive, rather than one which will result in them be- coming ill. Having said that, ac- cording to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in 2007/2008, 237, 000 new cases of work- related stress, depression and anxiety were reported. Apart from those reported cases there are many more people who struggle on while suffering from a stress related condition. According the HSE: • One in six workers suffer from work-related stress • Almost half a million people in Britain believe stress makes them ill • Stress-related ill health leads to an average of 30 days off work • Poor work design, e.g. where an employee has little or no control over the work they do, or where there is little support from managers or colleagues, has been shown to have a real impact on staff performance and reliability, even before an indi- vidual takes time off • Thirteen and a half million working days are lost annually costing the economy £3.5 billion. Grim reading The figures are scary. In small businesses, the impact on the remaining workforce when a worker goes onto long-term sick leave creates a domino effect. When employers recognise that their workers have become chronically tired, the quality and quantity of work their work will be severely undermined. Savvy employers are aware of how to take appropriate meas- ures to control the risk of stress- related ill health arising from work activities. It is important to note that in civil law an employer owes a ‘duty of care’ to individual em- ployees in the course of their employment. This is the area of law with the most important implications for work-related stress. For guidance of work- ers and employers, the HSE has published the following six standards for the manage- ment of working environments, where workers and employers should co-operate to set accept- able standards for: • Workload, work patterns and the work environment • The extent to which individuals can influence the way they work • The level of support, encour- agement and resources provid- ed by the employer • Workplace relationships, im- plementing practice polices to promote respect and equitability by working to avoid conflict and dealing effectively with unac- ceptable behaviour • Job descriptions - employees need to understand their role within the organisation and the practice; make sure that work roles are clear and well commu- nicated. • Workers must be informed and consultedwhenchangesinwork- ing practices are introduced. Team work In many dental practices, there is a genuine desire on the behalf of all of the dental profession- als to work together as a team. Each registered member of the dental team should be driven by the desire to do the best for their patients. Therefore, when they are working with limited resources and support, they’ll have rising concerns about any shortfalls, leading to stress and burn out. There can be no doubt, that the forces leading to workplace stress are here to stay for the time being, and the teams who have really mastered the abil- ity to cooperate and support each other will emerge from the current financial climate in the best shape. DT If you want to run a successful business, you can’t ignore the effects of stress on your work- force, says Glenys Bridges About the author Glenys Bridges is managing director of the Dental Resource Company, and has provided training for dental teams since 1992. For more information, visit www.dental-resource.com or call 0121 241 6693. ‘The harsh realities of business finance can- not be ignored, neither can the effects of stress as a result of overstretching the workforce.’