News on 01 December 2000
According to The Industrial Society’s Managing Best
Practice report, 74% of people surveyed believes stress will be the number
one health and safety issue over the next two years.
The survey showed that 77% of respondents’ organisations have policies
covering health in the workplace although only 33% monitor workplace stress
with 29% having policies which cover stress. 63% of organisations fail
to provide stress awareness coaching for employees and only 8% of employers
regularly train line managers in health promotion issues.
However, most companies actively promote employee health through written
advice and health screening, 53% have access to a trained counsellor and
46% to catering facilities with healthy eating alternatives. The survey
also indicates the emergence of more creative health remedies such as
aromatherapy (5%) and reflexology (5%).
39% of respondents also said employee healthcare is an important part
of a holistic approach to managing employees.
Pat McGuinness, of The Industrial Society, said: "Employers are aware
of stress and its consequences, but are still struggling to find ways
of identifying and dealing with it. Having open and honest lines of communication
where employees feel that they can freely acknowledge that they are under
stress without fear of retribution can go some way to alleviating the
problem."
