We all lead busy lives, sometimes our pace of life becomes overwhelming, this can be
as a result of pressures in the workplace or at home. If the conditions are prolonged
then ultimately your work and your health can be affected
So where do the risks come from?
Your well being can be at risk from:
1. Too much pressures on your time at work 2. Unacceptable increases in workload and
lack of time 3. Little or no control over the work or the
work environment 4. Exposure to verbal and physical abuse (i.e.
bullying or harassment) 5. An imbalance between work requirements
and capabilities 6. Working alone or away from home for extended
periods and finally,7. Worries about money, workload,
job security or your home life
What are the causes of these risks?
There are a number of causes to consider including:
8. Short or long term increases in workload or changes in work structures and responsibilities
9. Changes in your home life making it difficult to balance home and work commitments
10. Lack of communication between key people in your life
11. Personal and family illness and caring for people close to you
12. Poor management of your workplace activities
So how does all this affect your health?
If the risks are not addressed you can suffer serious problems, for example:
13. Physical and psychological ill health 14. Symptoms of anxiety and stress such as
sleep disruption, moodiness, withdrawal and irritability
and an 15. Inability to cope and make decisions 16. You can also suffer from reduced confidence
and self-esteem 17. A lack of productivity
18. Missed deadlines and poor work performance and finally
19. Increased sickness absence
So how do you control the risks?
In order to maintain the health and well being of your workforce you must try and
20. Work in partnership with employees, encourage communication, consultation and worker involvement
21. Review work demands or control over the work environment
22. Set realistic targets and time scales for work
23. Develop family friendly policies and practices as well as policies for harassment and bullying
24. Develop a plan to identify and deal with potential sources of stress in the workplace
25. Manage the workload through managerial support and feedback
26. Train staff and managers to be aware of the early signs of stress at work and to take
the appropriate action
For more information check out the get help chapter at the end of this DVD and in the guidance pack.