|
Workplace bullying rife - Rising stress levels hit the health of the
nation and the economy
BULLYING in
the UK is endemic and for 1 in 4 people it is a weekly or even daily
cause of stress. Over 80% of workers have been bullied during their
careers and a 3rd of people are so stressed they have dreamed of
quitting for a life abroad. Over 1/2 say their jobs are getting more
stressful and that work is overtaking their home lives.
These are the key findings of Samaritans’ survey for Stress Down
Day, taking place on Friday 1 February 2008; a national campaign to
encourage people to take better care of their health at work and
reduce currently damaging stress levels,
www.stressdownday.org.
Samaritans Joe Ferns said:- “Job related stress has a serious
and unrecognised impact on the health of the nation and the economy,
affecting concentration and efficiency. 13 million working days were
lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2005 at a staggering cost
of 3.7 billion to UK plc. Positive workplaces are a big factor
in keeping everyone emotionally healthy. There is not enough
openness and that is what Stress Down Day is all about; encouraging
employers and employees to speak out and discuss problems before
they escalate.”
Young employees (18 to 24 years) are most vulnerable to stress, with
38% feeling less likely than all other age groups to talk openly to
their managers and 57% unable to talk to colleagues. 48% are more
likely to be bullied by clients and customers whereas over 50% of
other age groups reported being bullied by their managers.
Occupation has a major influence on stress, with over 40% of IT
workers, retailers, caterers and engineers feeling unsupported at
work and over 50% unable to deal with stress, compared with people
in health, education, banking and finance over half of whom claim
they receive adequate support at work.
Samaritans Stressed Out survey also shows that:-
49% of people are worried about the affect stress is having on their
health, compared with 44% of people last year
32% of workers feel their employers turn a blind eye to the problem
of stress and 43% feel their bosses try to get as much out of them
as possible, regardless of their stress levels
Over half have seen colleagues cry over pressure and 83% would
rather say they were sick with flu or another problem rather than
admit they were stressed
There is still a large gender imbalance when it comes to sharing
domestic stress; with three quarters of women in the UK taking sole
responsibility for domestic tasks
Professor Cary Cooper of Lancaster University, an internationally
recognised expert in the field of workplace stress, said:-
“These results really disturb me. Shouldn’t we be managing people by
reward and praise rather than by fault finding and bullying?
We know that dealing with difficult people issues can be lonely and
frustrating. The message from Samaritans is that you are not alone.
Employees need more support from work colleagues and line managers
and everyone needs coping skills to help them deal with everyday
pressures.”
Samaritans is experienced in workplace issues and provides a 24 hour
confidential support service by phone and email. The charity also
runs WorkLife, a training course to tackle stress in the workplace
and provide practical skills for managers and team members. Log on
to
samaritans.org for more information. A
CD-ROM of the course is also available. Samaritans surveyed
2,100 adults in the UK and 500 adults in the Republic of Ireland,
through nfpSynergy between the 12 and 30 November 2007. Samaritans
is encouraging people to wear their slippers to work on Stress Down
Day, to find out more about the day and how to buy Samaritans’
exclusive monster slippers visit
stressdownday.org.
|
Energy Saving Is No Longer a Grey Matter - Over 70s To Benefit From
Free Insulation Works
AS part of the
governments new energy efficiency initiative, the over 70s can now
benefit from free loft and cavity wall insulation under the Carbon
Emissions Reduction Target (CERT).
Announced officially at the
beginning of 2008, all schemes involved in energy saving works
and insulation measures are now able to offer the over 70s free
insulation, a saving previously enjoyed only by those in receipt of
disability or income based allowance.
Under CERT energy suppliers are required to promote and regulate
reductions in carbon emissions for households, with a particular
emphasis on installing free energy efficiency measures for those
classified as fuel poor, i.e. on low incomes and the elderly. The
introduction of the over 70s criteria as part of energy suppliers
priority category could help an estimated 1.2 million households.
Cold homes have a
significant impact on people’s health and wellbeing. There is a
direct link between cold weather and heart and respiratory problems,
serious illness, discomfort and depression. Yet those most
susceptible to ill health during the winter are often those who are
living in housing the least prepared for the cold. With an estimated
22,300 excess winter deaths of older people in 2006/7 according to
the Office of National Statistics, the new over 70s CERT category
could be potentially life saving.
Loft and cavity wall insulation can save the average property over
£250 in wasted energy costs and nearly three tonnes of CO2 on an
annual basis through reducing the amount of heat lost through the
home.
One such scheme that offers free and grant assisted loft and cavity
wall insulation to all homeowners and private tenants throughout
Britain is the Heat Project. Managed by the energy consultancy Enact
Energy, since its inception in 1997 the Heat Project has helped over
300,000 households through installing energy saving measures and is
now delighted to be able to extend the offer of free insulation to
all households with a permanent resident aged 70 or over, as
Director of Operations, Paul Johnson, comments:- “We are very
pleased to be able to help the over 70s through this new CERT
criteria. We are acutely aware of the savings such insulation
measures can bring to all households, in particular the vulnerable,
and urge all that have yet to apply to please contact us urgently so
we can ensure you enjoy the financial, environmental and health
savings loft and cavity wall insulation can afford, no strings
attached.”
To apply for the free or grant assisted loft and cavity wall
insulation or for more information about energy efficiency measures
and how they can benefit your property, please call the Heat Project
free on 0800 093 4050 or visit
heatproject.co.uk.
|
