Work-related stress indicator surveys in UK Ministry of Defence

2018 ◽  
Vol 165 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-132
Author(s):  
Sarah C Wattie ◽  
R S Bridger
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Royal Air Force ◽  
Service Personnel ◽  
Stress Indicator ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Norm Group ◽  
Related Stress

IntroductionUK Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy and strategy recommend the use of a ‘Defence MODified’ version of the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool to help managers identify risks of work-related stress among Defence personnel. The Defence MODified Tool (‘Stress Indicator Survey’) asks personnel to rate their perceptions of eight working conditions known to be significantly associated with work-related stress. MOD psychologists are developing a Defence norm group against which future survey scores can be compared. This article describes the use of the Stress Indicator Survey in MOD and gives an overview of findings from 2016 to 2018.MethodMOD psychologists conducted 27 Stress Indicator Surveys in 2016–2018. Data were collated from 6227 personnel for the Defence norm group and comparisons were conducted between Service personnel and MOD civil servants, and between Services (Royal Navy/Royal Marines (RN/RM), Army and Royal Air Force (RAF)).ResultsService personnel had significantly more favourable perceptions than MOD civil servants of most working conditions. The RN/RM had significantly more favourable perceptions than either the Army or the RAF of all working conditions. These findings indicate differential risks of work-related stress in different groups of personnel.DiscussionPossible explanations for the observed differences in risk of work-related stress are discussed, including the nature of military life and planned changes to Defence civilian headcount. Examples of managerial actions to improve working conditions based on individual survey findings are given.

The Validity of the Short UK Health and Safety Executive Stress Indicator Tool For the Assessment of the Psychosocial Work Environment in Italy

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Balducci ◽  
Luciano Romeo ◽  
Margherita Brondino ◽  
Gianluigi Lazzarini ◽  
Francesca Benedetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Stress Indicator ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Item Questionnaire ◽  
Related Stress

Abstract. The Health and Safety Executive Stress Indicator Tool (SIT) is a 35-item questionnaire to assess exposure to seven common psychosocial factors involved in the genesis of work-related stress. Recent work conducted in the UK has provided evidence that the SIT may be reduced to a 25-item questionnaire (the SIT-25) showing the same seven-factor model and criterion-related validity of the SIT. The SIT is the most widely used tool to assess work-related stress factors in Italy, with benchmark (normative) data managed by the Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority. Thus, we conducted two studies to further test whether in Italy the SIT may be reduced to the SIT-25. In Study 1 a heterogeneous sample of workers (N = 588, 39.5% females) was used to further test the seven-factor model of the SIT-25 and its criterion-related validity with mental well-being. In Study 2 two new samples of workers (N = 625, 69.8% females; and N = 344, 3.2% females) from health and metal-mechanical sectors were used to assess the degree of measurement invariance of the SIT-25 and further test its criterion-related validity. Overall the results showed that the SIT-25 data fit the postulated seven-factor solution and that the reduced subscales (i.e., Demands, Control, Relationships, and Role) have the same criterion-related validity as their longer version. Additionally, the SIT-25 showed strong measurement invariance in the two different samples of workers of Study 2. These results provide further encouraging evidence that the SIT-25 may be effectively used in place of its longer version.

scholarly journals Work-related stress among headteachers in Wales: Prevalence, sources, and solutions

2021 ◽  
pp. 174114322110546
Author(s):  
Stuart Scott ◽  
Caroline Limbert ◽  
Peter Sykes
Keyword(s):  
High Pressures ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
School Level ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
School Improvements ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
Personal Resilience ◽  
Related Stress

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, sources, and underlying causes of work-related stress among headteachers in Wales and to identify possible solutions. An online questionnaire was sent to all 1588 headteachers across Wales. The questionnaire included demographic questions, Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards Tool, a list of known stressors, and open questions exploring the underlying causes and possible solutions. A total of 359 (22.6%) headteachers completed the survey. Two-thirds of participants reported experiencing levels of stress that were rated as ‘high’. Pressures of managing greater demands and increasing workload with fewer financial resources and a lack of support from local authorities were the main sources of stress. Solutions focused on improved funding to enhance staffing and resources at a school level, reduced accountability, and improved support. The findings indicated that a multi-faceted, multi-level, intervention approach, extending beyond improving personal resilience and individual school improvements, into regional and national opportunities for change, is likely to be most effective in reducing work-related stress within the profession.

scholarly journals Research on psychosocial risks in the context of intervention and rescue activities in toxic / flammable / explosive environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 342 ◽  
pp. 01007
Author(s):  
Izabella Kovacs ◽  
Andrei Lucian Gireadă ◽  
Alin Irimia ◽  
Laurenţiu Munteanu
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Psychosocial Risks ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Safety Risks ◽  
Health And Safety Risks ◽  
Related Stress

Work implies interaction of several components such as equipment, work environment, work load and human factor. Prevention of work accident and occupational diseases is mainly based on knowledge and assessment of occupational risks associated with each workplace. Psychosocial risks are usually caused by stress, thus being greatly influenced by individual perceptions. Identifying psychosocial risks is based on the analysis of individual reactions to external factors and activities. Worldwide, work related stress is seen as a major present-day challenge, faced by occupational health and safety specialists. Considered at organizational level and not as individual issues, psychosocial risks and stress can be managed to the same extent as any other occupational health and safety risk. The growing issue of protecting emergency workers against occupational health and safety risks has been highlighted as a priority by many experts. Demands on intervention and rescue personnel, as well as occupational health and safety risks will increase as they face larger events both in number and magnitude and severity. The current paper will summarize key issues related to work-related stress and will discuss how stress at work can be best managed in the context of intervention and rescue activities in toxic / flammable / explosive environments.

scholarly journals The JDCS Model and Blue-Collar Bullying: Decent Working Conditions for a Healthy Environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia Libera Finstad ◽  
Antonio Ariza-Montes ◽  
Gabriele Giorgi ◽  
Luigi Isaia Lecca ◽  
Giulio Arcangeli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Blue Collar ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
The Relationship

Violence in the workplace and its health consequences still represent one of the main obstacles to obtaining decent working conditions. In particular, blue-collar workers run a greater risk of experiencing episodes of violence, also because of a lack of autonomy and fewer social interactions. According to the work environment hypothesis, factors such as high workload, lack of social support and lack of job control represent the antecedents of workplace bullying. Following the job demand-control-support model (JDCS), violence can be the symptom of a high-strain environment. Moreover, it is still unclear if workplace bullying can mediate the effects of work-related stress on workers’ health outcomes. The aim of the present study is to analyse the relationship between the components of the JDCS and the health of the workers considering workplace bullying as a mediating variable. By a cross sectional study design, we tested the following theoretical hypotheses: first, JDCS components (conceptualized as stress) are supposed to significantly predict the level of workers’ health. Second, workplace bullying is supposed to mediate the relationship between the JDCS components and the level of health. The sample consists of 400 blue-collars from three different Italian companies. Work-related stress, health outcomes and workplace bullying were measured by specific self-administered questionnaires and the relationships between the variables of interest were tested through a structural equation model (SEM) analysis. The results showed that while the direct relationship between the components of the JDCS and the level of psychological health is weaker (standardized path coefficients SPC = 0.21), the partial mediation hypothesis shows that workplace bullying mediate the relationship between JDCS components and health outcomes (χ2/df ratio = 2.70; path from stress to workplace bullying SPC = 0.78; path from workplace bullying to general health SPC = 0.51; p = 0.01). The JDCS components (workload, lack of control, lack of support) are useful predictors for workplace bullying. On the other hand, bullying plays a mediating role between the stress experienced and the health consequences. The present study adds new insights into the relationship between violence seen as a form of social behavioural strain and the psychological health of workers. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Future research on blue-collars could use longitudinal designs in order to analyse the relationship between social environment, job design and strain reactions.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Working Conditions and Work-related Stress in Iceland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arelia Eydis Gudmundsdottir ◽  
Inga Minelgaite ◽  
Svala Gudmundsdottir ◽  
Christopher R Leupold ◽  
Thelma Kristín Snorradóttir
Keyword(s):  
Work Stress ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Work Family

Research Question: This study examines the attitudes of 106 of Iceland’s highest-level public officials towards their current work conditions and the constraints around them. Motivation: Rapidly changing internal and external environments create pressure on organizations to perform, which in turn place heightened demands and expectations on individuals who lead them. This situation demands to continuously revisit empirical evidence on perceived working conditions and work-related stress of top management. Furthermore, specific contexts, e.g., organization or country, might provide new insights and contribute to the existing body of knowledge. Idea: The aim of this study was to assess work conditions that could potentially contribute to work-related stress among top leaders in public agencies. In addition, gender differences regarding perceptions of workload, work-stress, and work-family conflict were examined. Data: A 10-item questionnaire was sent electronically to all 154 leaders of the highest government institutions in Iceland. The response rate was 69.2% (n=107). Tools: The items were selected and adapted from the QPS Nordic Questionnaire. All items were in five-point Likert-type format (1=very rarely to 5=very often/always), where participants indicated the extent to which they experienced a variety of work-related stressors. Findings: Results indicated that these leaders are potentially at risk of elevated work stress due to insufficient budgets and flexibility to control workflows. Likewise, there are strong patterns that indicate that, despite often feeling overworked and stressed, these leaders are given little feedback on their performance. Compared to men, women appear to feel that their workloads are more burdensome, and statistically significant findings support this. There were no significant gender effects for overall work-family conflict or overall work stress, although patterns suggest that in women they are slightly higher on both. Contribution: This paper provides information about public leaders’ attitudes in Iceland towards stress-inducing work conditions, giving future researchers and practitioners a platform to better pinpoint how to provide necessary support.

scholarly journals The Effect of Organizational Culture on Employee Well- Being: Work-Related Stress, Employee Identification, Turnover Intention

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Klajkó Dóra ◽  
Restás Péter ◽  
Szabó Zsolt Péter ◽  
Czibor Andrea
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Organizational Identification ◽  
Turnover Intention ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Related Stress

Direct and indirect costs of work-related stress can be measured in both humanistic and financial terms. In Hungary and the other Central and Eastern European countries chronic stress-related diseases, like depression, premature cardiovascular illnesses, and overall mortality rates are higher in comparison to western countries, primarily among men. The vast majority of the adult population is employed in some capacity and the average person spends more time working than in any other waking activity. Working conditions can exert influence on employee well-being. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between the perceived type of organizational culture (team, adhocracy, market, hierarchy) and employee well-being (perceived work-related stress, organizational identification, and turnover intention). Employees (N= 256) from different Hungarian companies (Study 1) and employees (N= 112) from Hungarian information technology firms (Study 2) completed a questionnaire battery measuring demographics, perceived organizational culture (OCAI), work-related stress (CSP), job satisfaction (JSS), and turnover intention (TIS-6). Our results show that the perceived organizational culture can significantly influence employees’ well-being as reflected in their perceived stress level, turnover intention, and organizational identification. Our study is cross-sectional and explorative. Common method bias could overestimate the results due to the use of self-reported measures. Decreasing chronic stress factors and increasing employees’ well-being are common objectives in the 21st century. In relation to these objectives, the present study provides information on employee well-being and optimal working conditions focusing on the fastest- growing industry.

Managing Conflict and Stress in the Workplace: Theory and Practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Palferman
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Executive Management ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Management Standards ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Related Stress

AbstractThis article covers, and expands on, a presentation of the same name given at the BIALL Conference held in Brighton in 2010. The Health and Safety Executive Management Standards approach for tackling the cause of work-related stress was launched in November 2004. Since the launch, the HSE has worked with many thousands of organisations within the United Kingdom to implement the Management Standards approach. This work has provided the HSE with the opportunity to learn how best to manage the causes of work-related stress in the workplace.

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