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Stay calm, efficiero and profitable

20th February 1997
Page 60
Page 60, 20th February 1997 — Stay calm, efficiero and profitable
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

If there is a reader with a pressure-free job, please hand it over! All jobs have pressure of some sort, but when the pressure becomes unbearable, trouble follows for the employee, and the employer. The employer has a duty of care towards his employees. If that duly is discharged negligently, the employer is liable for arnages.

In the Walker case last year, an employee was awarded £200,000 for breach of this duty. He had Iwo nervous breakdowns, and on each occasion the employ

ers broke their promise to put on sufhcient staff to cope with the workload. It was not a case of an employee being unable to cope with the normal pressure of the job. Stress is a complex subject, but its causes certainly include pro

longed pressures, confusion, uncertainty, conflict, lack of

leadership and poor physical working conditions. So what can employers do? The key is good management. Consistency, openness, fairness and good communication go a long way, so don't neglect the following easily recognisable objectives: • Train staff in relationships at work; • Design jobs well; • Assign targets which stretch, but which are achievable; • Get the working hours to fit the job; • Give employees clearly defined objectives and responsibilities; • Encourage employees to participate in the planning of their own lobs. Implementation of good practices should lead to: • Improved staff attitude; • Increased work performance; • Less conflict in the workplace; • Decreased level of staff absenteeism.

The bottom line is, reducing employees' stress can increase productivity, which should go a long way towards reducing the most important stress level of all—your own!

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