as a result of pressures in the workplace or at home. If the conditions are prolonged

then ultimately your work and your health can be affected

So where do the risks come from?

Your well being can be at risk from:

1. Too much pressures on your time at work 2. Unacceptable increases in workload and

lack of time 3. Little or no control over the work or the

work environment 4. Exposure to verbal and physical abuse (i.e.

bullying or harassment) 5. An imbalance between work requirements

and capabilities 6. Working alone or away from home for extended

periods and finally,7. Worries about money, workload,

job security or your home life

What are the causes of these risks?

There are a number of causes to consider including:

8. Short or long term increases in workload or changes in work structures and responsibilities

9. Changes in your home life making it difficult to balance home and work commitments

10. Lack of communication between key people in your life

11. Personal and family illness and caring for people close to you

12. Poor management of your workplace activities

So how does all this affect your health?

If the risks are not addressed you can suffer serious problems, for example:

13. Physical and psychological ill health 14. Symptoms of anxiety and stress such as

sleep disruption, moodiness, withdrawal and irritability

and an 15. Inability to cope and make decisions 16. You can also suffer from reduced confidence

and self-esteem 17. A lack of productivity

18. Missed deadlines and poor work performance and finally

19. Increased sickness absence

So how do you control the risks?

In order to maintain the health and well being of your workforce you must try and

20. Work in partnership with employees, encourage communication, consultation and worker involvement

21. Review work demands or control over the work environment

22. Set realistic targets and time scales for work

23. Develop family friendly policies and practices as well as policies for harassment and bullying

24. Develop a plan to identify and deal with potential sources of stress in the workplace

25. Manage the workload through managerial support and feedback

26. Train staff and managers to be aware of the early signs of stress at work and to take

the appropriate action

For more information check out the get help chapter at the end of this DVD and in the guidance pack.