Employers in Ireland have been urged to pay closer attention to staff
suffering from stress to prevent it from escalating into a major
problem for the individuals concerned, and their organisation as a
whole.
Irish minister for labour affairs, Dara Calleary, told delegates at the
‘Work Positive’ seminar, organised in Dublin by the Health and Safety
Authority on 5 May, that “stress is a fact of life, whether that be in
the workplace or outside of work, and we all experience some form of
stress from time to time. However, excessive stress that goes
unaddressed can lead to serious health problems for individuals. When
it comes to workplaces, employers need to recognise the signs and it is
in their interest to know how to deal with them.”
HSA chief executive Martin O’Halloran explained that the Work Positive
tool provides various benefits for employers and employees to help them
deal with the issue. A risk-management process that helps organisations
identify and manage the major causal factors associated with workplace
stress, it was originally developed by the HSA with Health Scotland and
launched in 2002. It involves a confidential and voluntary employee
questionnaire designed to assess the source and possible levels of
exposure of individuals to six psychosocial hazards.
Said O’Halloran: “Stress-related illnesses can be very serious and just
as debilitating for individuals as a bad physical accident, so it’s
obviously in the interest of everyone to deal with it effectively. The
aim for employers should be to ensure that, at a minimum, workplace
activities are not unduly contributing to overall stress levels.”
The Irish Central Statistics Office reports that 13,000 people in the
Republic suffer from stress, depression and anxiety, while the
Department of Social and Family Affairs states that 1.7 per cent of all
occupational-injury benefit claims allowed in 2006 related to stress.
The keynote address at the seminar was given by Professor Michael
Leiter, from Acadia University in Canada. Professor Leiter works with
organisations internationally to help them enhance relationships,
encourage engagement and prevent employee burnout. Using research from
the education, health and public sectors, he outlined for delegates the
crucial aspects of what makes people happier, healthier and engaged at
work, as well as discussing current research on stress and ways to
prevent and manage it.
To find out more about the Work Positive process, click here
Pictured left to right are: Martin O’Halloran, Minister Calleary, Prof Michael Leiter, and Patricia Murray of the HSA
