News on 27 October 2000
Professor Cary Cooper yesterday warned the Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development's (CIPD) National Conference (25-27 October at Harrogate
International Centre) that the costs of stress over the next decade are
likely to increase rapidly. According to Cooper, work-related stress is
already the biggest cause of sickness absence at an annual cost of £5-6bn
to UK plc.
He said: "The escalation in the cost of workplace stress looks set
to continue into the next century as existing high levels of stress are
increased by short-term contract working, teleworking and the use of new
technologies among others. Evidence suggests that many employers place
too much emphasis on the bottom line and less on the general welfare of
employees; employers should recognise the implicit link between the two.
"The stress factor looks set to increase further with the seven-day,
24-hour working culture, more owner-managed companies, increasing EU regulation
and a strengthening of the dual-income household. This will only lead
to a less motivated and healthy staff, who are more likely to leave an
organisation - a prospect increasing by the day as the labour market becomes
progressively tight. To offset this, employers should honour the psychological
contract with their staff and include more flexible working arrangements,
team-working and a better management system based on reward and praise.
"The amber warning lights will turn to red for many employers if
they do not grasp and act on this quickly. If they don't, employees will
simply follow the green light to a company with better working practices
and take with them the skills, knowledge and prospects of the organisation
they left. The mantra foremost in employers' minds must be, `Lose your
staff and you lose your business,"' he concluded.
