{"id":17778,"date":"2019-04-09T15:18:29","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T14:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=17778"},"modified":"2020-11-12T12:56:52","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T12:56:52","slug":"cipd-stress-absences-poll-managers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=17778","title":{"rendered":"Too stressed to work"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Stress at work is on the rise, with more and more companies reporting an increase in stress-related absences, according to a new survey.<\/p>\n

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Two-fifths of businesses said they have recorded a rise in days lost to stress, mostly driven by poor management, according to the latest Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) poll<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The survey, which polled more than 1,000\u00c2\u00a0HR\u00c2\u00a0and people development professionals, found that 62 per cent said heavy workloads, attributable to poor management, were the number one reason for days lost to stress at work.<\/p>\n

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The second biggest factor driving the rise in stress-related absences was management styles, a problem identified by 43 per cent of those surveyed, up from 32 per cent last year.<\/p>\n

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The CIPD highlighted the lack of management training, with only 50 per cent of managers\u00c2\u00a0having received training to help their employees better manage stress or spot the signs of stress early on.<\/p>\n

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Two worrying trends linked to stress at work identified by the survey included a rise in \u00e2\u20ac\u0098presenteeism\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or coming in to work despite being ill \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and \u00e2\u20ac\u0098leavism\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, or continuing to work while on holiday.<\/p>\n

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“Managers should be helping to alleviate stress among their staff, not contributing to it,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said CIPD employment relations adviser Rachell Suff. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut too many managers are being set up to fail because they haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t received adequate training, despite them often being the first person employees will turn to when they have a problem.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Rates of presenteeism and leaveism, which are both linked to stress, remain stubbornly high,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bEmployers have a responsibility to tackle these bad habits. They must also realise that staff are not going to perform at their best if they are working when ill or using up holiday to work rather than recharge.<\/p>\n

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The latest CIPD research on stress at work was highlighted on Tuesday morning (April 9) on BBC Breakfast<\/a>, with viewers anonymously sharing their experiences of untenable workloads and poor management.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI worked for an international company,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 one viewer reported. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe workload is such that I worked from 7 in the morning to 3am the next morning because of the time zones. The company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s solution was to re-organise and replace me.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another anonymous viewer described how they had a \u00e2\u20ac\u015bbreakdown\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 and ended up in a \u00e2\u20ac\u015bdepressive coma\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI was in hospital for six months due to bad management and workplace stress, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still signed off from work.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mental health training<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Other viewers reported positive experiences when their managers and other colleagues had been trained in mental health first aid \u00e2\u20ac\u201c training which Unite has worked to promote in workplaces across the UK.<\/p>\n

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UniteLive highlighted earlier this year one workplace where mental health has been placed at the top of the agenda<\/a>, thanks to the efforts of Unite reps and members.<\/p>\n

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Lee Wiggets-Clinton, a Unite convenor at Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, made mental health training a priority when he noticed two years ago that in sickness meetings with members, time and again mental health issues such as stress\u00c2\u00a0were among the biggest reasons\u00c2\u00a0people had missed work.<\/p>\n

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He approached the council leader and councillors about ways that they can take action. Lee and the Unite West Midlands 7015 branch lobbied for their employer to sign up to Time to Change\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Employer Pledge<\/a>, which commits employers to specific mental health goals.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now, staff mental health is at the forefront of the Council\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s priorities, with all stewards receiving mental health awareness training and some going the extra mile to become mental health first aiders.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bLike medical first aiders, mental health first aiders serve as a vital first port of call in emergencies,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Lee explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bJust as a medical first aider may help stem the bleeding if someone is cut until they can seek medical attention, so too does a mental health first aider act as the first person you might talk who can support you in taking that next step to get professional help.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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As a result of Lee and his branch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s efforts, not only have the number of sickness days fallen but Unite membership has increased as well. In this way, mental health advocacy has become an important recruitment tool.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lee believes it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vital that trade unions take a lead on mental health the way Unite has done.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bEmployers aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going to always listen \u00e2\u20ac\u201c they aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t on the ground the way unions are and sometimes they just don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to take responsibility,” he said. “Add to the mix, massive cuts to the NHS and mental health services, which means we all have to step up and play our part \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or no one else will.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stress ‘epidemic’<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

While Unite helps facilitate mental health training in the workplace, the union is also backing the #WheresYourHeadAt<\/a> campaign, which is aiming to change the Health & Safety at Work Act to so that workplaces must have mental health first aiders, similar to the current requirement for \u00e2\u20ac\u0098physical\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 first aiders.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The CIPD\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s latest research published this week mirrors an earlier study last year from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which also found that the rise in work-related stress absences was being fuelled by poor management<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Commenting on the HSE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s findings, Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said it was \u00e2\u20ac\u015bnot an exaggeration\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 to say that workplace stress had become an \u00e2\u20ac\u015bepidemic\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe union is also always on hand to stand up to bosses and employers who are treating their staff unjustly or putting their mental or physical wellbeing at risk for whatever reason,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Turner said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He stressed the need for a wholesale \u00e2\u20ac\u015bculture change, particularly by bosses who are too often blind to the fact that workplaces will be healthier and more productive if the needs of staff are taken into account.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Turner said that trade unions are vital to bringing about that change, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bbut action must also come from the government and the HSE to ensure that employers are held to higher standards when it comes to protecting the mental health of their staff\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He added, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bEmployers must also make sure their line managers are provided with the training and tools to ensure they are not part of the problem.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stress at work is on the rise, with more and more companies reporting an increase in stress-related absences, according to a new survey.   Two-fifths of businesses said they have recorded a rise in days lost to stress, mostly driven by poor management, according to the latest Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) poll. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14128,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[404,424],"wps_subtitle":"Days lost to stress on the rise in workplaces \u00e2\u20ac\u201c are managers to blame?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17778"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17778"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25373,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17778\/revisions\/25373"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}