What do new ways of working mean for the levels of stress experienced by employees? Not a lot, reports the Health & Safety Executive.

Its latest research study looked at two groups of people, one using hot-desking and another using "learning organisation" principles in which employees were encouraged to continually learn, adapt and meet new challenges in creative ways. Both of these were compared to control groups working in traditional styles and contexts.

No significant differences in stress levels were found between the groups experiencing change and those that were not.

Interesting, the learning organisation group did demonstrate a more positive view of their work environment, suggesting that their experience was proving to be a motivating factor.

Last year the Health & Safety Commission launched a consultation exercise on the issue of stress at work and how best to control it. This study represents another aspect of that policy development process. All results are due for analysis in the spring.

Elliott Chase