There are many theories about why there is so much stress at work and more talk of depression in the workplace. It would surely be a happier society if people are prepared to talk about these issues and seek help. Is there really more work-induced stress or are we just talking about it more?
The Causes of Stress
It is worth analysing what is causing all this stress, as it is a major economic factor for employers, with more workers taking time off. Stress is cited as being as deadly as some cancers. According to The Independent, stress can take 33 years off your life. Take a look closer to home, though. One theory is that people just want to get on with their jobs. Too many meetings and too many performance reviews and team-building exercises are getting in the way of people doing their jobs effectively. Instead of looking at improving employees’ work spaces and giving them adequate desk space (whoever thought hot-desking was a good idea?) employers are too keen to do surveys. In a sensitive environment such as a hospital, medical staff can feel under pressure to ask relatives of patients who have died and to undertake satisfaction surveys along the lines of TripAdvisor reviews.
For more information and guidance on managing stress, take a look at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/ It is worth having a formal policy and documents that all staff are aware of and can refer to.
If you are looking for offices to let Basingstoke has much to offer, with modern purpose-designed spaces for a stress-free environment. Just look at offices to let Basingstoke.
Bring Back the Tea Lady
There is too much time spent trying to make cups of tea with a dirty, furred-up kettle or heat up soup in a microwave that it is no one’s responsibility to clean, it seems. It is all very well having a fridge and sink, but are professional staff really expected to get out the rubber gloves and cream cleaner and scrub down the worktops when it all becomes too grimy? It is not unusual in a school, for instance, for cleaning staff not to be responsible for cleaning staff areas. It would save everyone a lot of time and effort if one person were responsible for doing the washing-up and running the dishwasher on a regular basis.
