HSE Stress eBulletin: October 2021

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Stress eBulletin

Stress website review

HSE's work-related stress (WRS) website is being reviewed to make it more reflective of the changing agenda on mental health. Other materials are also being updated.

As part of this review, the Management Standards (MS) analysis tool will be removed from our webpages.

 

For employers with fewer than 50 employees, the automated stress indicator tool (SIT) is now available free of charge. The SIT can be used to measure the attitudes and perceptions of employees towards WRS.

 

Find out more about the SIT.

 

If you have any suggestions for updates to the website, please contact us.


Work-related stress (WRS) and the spot check programme

HSE is continuing to carry out spot checks and inspections to ensure businesses are working safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

Now that people are returning to work, the scope of the spot check programme has been widened to include questions relating to WRS.

 

In July, we piloted a series of questions which checked:

  • Whether a risk assessment for WRS has been done;
  • Whether it applies across the organisation; and
  • Whether employees were consulted or involved

The majority of those organisations involved were small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 5 employees. Most of those that had not carried out a risk assessment were unaware of their legal duty to assess the risk to their employees from WRS or mental health issues.

 

Following initial discussions, most respondents reacted positively. They were directed towards the resources available on the HSE website.

 

To enable us to reach these smaller organisations, we are looking to provide some specific web materials that will be easily identifiable.

 

We would also welcome your views on how to get our messages to this sector – if you represent an SME:

  • Who do you speak or listen to?
  • Where do you go for vital information about health and safety, risk assessment or tackling problems your employees are experiencing? 

Please contact us with your feedback.


Volunteers for research into using the Management Standards (MS) approach

HSE is carrying out further research of employers that are using or have used the Management Standards approach.

We want to identify:

  • the barriers or problems to implementing the process;
  • the benefits of putting the approach in place in an organisation; and
  • details of how any barriers have been overcome

If you have a responsibility for health and safety issues and stress management within your organisation, use or have used the Management Standards approach and you’d be prepared to answer a short questionnaire or be interviewed by one of our research staff, please contact us by 18 October 2021.

 

Please advise whether you would prefer a questionnaire or interview.

 

If you use a different approach to managing stress or apply the Management Standards innovatively, we’d also like to hear from you.



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