November Newsletter

November 14th-18th was bullying awareness week however we should be aware of bullying and the effects it has in the workplace all year round not just for one week in the middle of November. I won't rant on about here instead I'll let the numbers do the talking.

• 25 - The percentage of people Affected by bullying in the workplace
• 37 - The percentage of Managers that have not undergone any proper Management Training.
• 49 - The percentage of Managers that have been the victims of bullying
• 80 - The percentage of Managers that know bullying occurs in their workplace
• 16,000 - The average cost in pounds of an employer going to tribunal
• 19,000,000 - The number of sick days taken each year in the UK due to bullying 

Anyone who has followed the X-Factor this year will most likely have seen the episode where two of the judges accused one of the contestants of being a bully? For those that didn't here, in nutshell, is what happened.

Tulisa Contostavlos, mentor for the groups, accused a female contestant of "being mean to fellow contestants" and Louis Walsh, mentor for the over 25's, went further by stating that one of his contestants had complained to him that they were being bullied by the female contestant. Kelly Rowland, the contestants mentor, defended her as you would expect and Gary Barlow stated he didn't care what happened backstage it was what happened on the stage that mattered.

So who was at fault here?

The Contestant?

We are unable to make a judgment as we do not have the facts of the accusation to allow us to do so. Until an investigation has taken place an employee should be innocent until proven guilty.

Kelly Rowland?

Definitely not, if you consider her in the role of the Union Rep then she is rightly defending her member against accusations that have yet to be proved.

Tulisa Contostavlos?

Yes, she used her position of power to publicly heap pressure on a subordinate. We would not, and should not, accept such behaviour from a manager in the workplace.

Louis Walsh?

Yes, he also used his position of power to publicly accuse the contestant outright of bullying. Again something that should not be accepted in any workplace across the country.

Gary Barlow?

Without doubt he is at fault and potentially more than any of the others because he is prepared to turn a blind eye. This is both an unacceptable as well as a dangerous stance to take as was proved by the recent tribunal ruling against BT where they were ordered to pay nearly £290,000 in compensation to an employee where they had failed to take seriously her complaints.

There is no place for bullying in this world and so every complaint of bullying must be taken seriously and fully investigated.

• The investigation should take place under full confidentiality
• As in law everyone is innocent until proven guilty and should be treated as such.
• An employer should never turn a blind eye to bullying and harassment because in doing so they too are culpable.

Don't let bullying happen in your workplace because there is always more than one victim in a bullying case.

Don't stand for bullying, stand up to bullying.

• In 2010/11 400,000 cases of recorded stress
• 211,000 new cases of work related stress.
• In the UK sick absence 2009/10 resulted in 172b lost working days
• The cost to business was £13b
• Every person off with work related stress alone had average 22.6 days absence. www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress/index.htm
• MIND stats 1:10 people suffering from stress
• £39M in prescriptions for antidepressants.

Not all stress is work related- but it is not known how many minor illness absences have underlying stress as a cause.

MISSED IT?

November 3rd was National Stress Awareness Day. You may have let the day pass you by but stress may not & the impact on you & your business could be detrimental.

Apart from the cost impact your workers are hardly likely to produce their best if they are diverted by other concerns.

The highest levels of WRS reported during 2010/11 were in the health, social, teaching & public sector professions. This is hardly surprising considering the major staff cuts & increased demands on services.

It does raise the question though:-

'How many people are in jobs without salaried sick leave & are not working effectively but can't or daren't take the time off?'

Despite pressure to cut costs in the economic climate 22% of organisations increased their spending during 2009-2011 on employee well-being & continue to do so because of the results they are getting (CIPD Absence Management Survey 2010)

Do you have staff absent from work with stress or absent on a regular basis with minor illness which could be stress related?

• The absence of staff puts more pressure on the remaining workforce.
• The pressure of remaining 'positive' for employees & family in the current climate puts more pressure on the business owner/manager.
• The pressure of meeting increased demands with a lessening workforce puts pressure on everyone.
• The business may lose valued workers through resignation or early retirement & their experience which takes time to replace.

You may be surprised how little training & coaching costs in relation to the major impact stress can have on your business.

Symptoms of Stress

Feeling anxious, irritable or angry?

Feeling flustered or confused or forgetting things?

Can't concentrate or make a decision?

Have headaches, hot flushes or palpitations?

Find it hard to sleep?

Increased your use of caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol or drugs (including prescribed medication)?

Feel restless? Have repetitive 'tics'- fidgeting? Twiddling? Redoing things?

Feel tearful?

Are you over or under-eating?

Lost your sex drive?

Worsening skin problems or breathing difficulties?

Have lists you never finish or clutter you never clear?

6 Tips for Quick & Easy Stress Relief at Work

Tackle one thing at a time & finish it

Take a break, even 10 minutes every 2 hours

Always eat lunch & drink plenty of water

During your break close your eyes if possible & breathe in & out deeply & slowly

If you feel tired wash your face & hands

Try to smile as often as possible even if you don't feel like it.

For lots more tips on personal stress relief seewww.apositivechoice.co.uk/news

A Positive Choice offers various bespoke stress relief options specific to you & your workforce.

• Stress Awareness Workshop for Managers
• Coping with Stress Strategies for Managers & Staff.
• A 'Well- Being ' event for your staff on your premises.
• Personal One to One Confidential Coaching (perfect for managers & business owners)

We will also be running seminar courses again on Stress Awareness during 2012.

Discuss it with us- we can help & save you time & money & stress!

01604 246524 A Positive Choice for Stress Reduction- Martena or Paul.

www.apositivechoice.co.uk