Psychological problems in management

What is mental health?NHS Health Scotland describes good mental health as a:

 “basic component of positive health and well-being.  It is necessary to help us manage our lives successfully, and provide us with the emotional and spiritual resilience to allow

us to enjoy life and deal with distress and disappointment.”

‘Mental illness’ is a shorthand term for a variety of illnesses that affect our mental well-being.  It covers a range of symp-toms and experiences.

Workplace health looks at 3 inter-related compo-nents:

● Individual Employees are an organisation’s key resource - staff health & well being should be promoted at all times.

● The Working Environment must be safe & healthy. Employ-ees’ health & welfare must be protected, through risk asses-sments & workplace policies.

● The Organisational Structure can have a significant effect on morale & on how employees feel about their work. Mana-gement style, communication systems, training opportunities & staff development all shape an organisation & therefore its employees.

All 3 of these factors interact in a workplace and make it the organisation that it is. A health at work programme must target all 3 of these components.

An employee will work better & more productively in a safe & healthy working environment, and in an organisa-tion where they are valued. The Scotland's Health at Work programme can provide a framework for workplace health promotion activity.

Stress - definition and symptoms

Stress is the second most repor-ted work-related health prob-lem, that affects 22% of work-ers from EU 27 (in 2005).

And the number of people suffering from stress-related conditions caused or made worse by work is likely to increase.

Definition and causes

People experience stress when they perceive that there is an imbalance between the demands made of them and the resources they have available to cope with those de-mands. Though the experience of stress is psychological, stress also affects people’s physical health.

Common factors in work-related stress include:

lack of control over work unsuitable demands being made of workers lack of support from colleagues and management poor match between us and our work, poor relationships and presence of

psychological or physical violence at a workplace, and by conflicts between our roles at work and outside it

abusive behavious in the workplace: gossiping teasing physically inappropriate behaviour intruding on interpersonal space swearing racist comments sexist comments violence

*Reactions to the same circumstances vary between individuals.

Symptoms of work-related stress● At the organisation level: absenteeism, high staff turnover, disciplinary problems, harassment, redu-ced productivity, accidents, errors, and increased costs from compensation or health care.

● At the individual level: - emotional reactions (irritability, anxiety, sleep problems, de

pression, alienation, burnout, family relationship problems); - cognitive reactions (difficulty in concentrating, remembering,

learning new things, making decisions); - behavioural reactions (abuse of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco;

destructive behaviour); - physiological reactions (back problems, weakened immunity,

heart problems).

Work-related violence

Physical violence is one of the most serious occupational ha-zards. It covers insults, threats or physical aggression. In 2005 4% of workers report being sub-jected to actual physical violence from members of the public in the past twelve months.

Mobbing includes the harmful treatment or putting of

harmful pressure on employee, often with the intention and effect of inducing him/her to leave. It has characteristics which com-monly lead to claims of dismissal, for example, lack of support of an employee by the employer.

Examples Disturbing in speech Loud reprimand (upominanie) Shouting Limited ability of expressing own word Criticism of somebody's work Putting gossip around Scoff at political and religion views Giving performance which aren't appropriate for some-

body's qualification Force to work overhours

Mobbing can lead to... physical health damage willingness to leave job problems at home suicide having a breakdown

How to stop mobbing at workplace?

first the employer should be aware of the na-ture of mobbing and its effect on employees at all levels. He must have good systems for monitoring and investigating the conduct of employees at all levels and for timely con-sultation and action without the need to wait for employees to complain.

talk to the boss go to court

Mobbing in the Workplace: Has This Happened to You?

Movie

Workaholic

Workaholics will spend most of their lives at work or taking work home with them. They will often have little time for personal lives - family, hobbies, or relaxation.

We can say a person as workaholic is when:

A person takes work with him to home and is engage in work during weekends and vacation. The only activity that he likes to and talks about is their work. Workaholics work more than 40 hours a week.Work makes them happier than anything else in their life. Playtime is a big waste. Their family or friends given up expecting them on time. Many workaholics at work found as an energetic and competitive person, while at home they are lethargic and depressed. They believe that it is okay to work long hours and make no difference for them. Many workaholics afraid that if they don't work hard they will lose their job or be a failure. Normally they found worried even when things are going very well. They get irritated when people ask them to stop doing their work in order to do something else. They do not care about their long hours hurt their family or other relationships. They always think about their work while driving, falling asleep or when others are talking. Some workaholics have a tendency to work or read during meals.

Burn-out Burnout happens when people who have pre-

viously been highly committed to a job lose all interest and motivation. Sadly, this can spell the end of a successful career.

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.

What causes of burn-out? Feeling like you have little or no control over your

work. Lack of recognition or rewards for good work. Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging. Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment Working too much, without enough time for relaxing

and socializing Taking on too many responsibilities, without eno-

ugh help from others Not getting enough sleep Pessimistic view of yourself and the world

You may be on the road to burnout if:

Every day is a bad day. Caring about your work or home life seems like

a total waste of energy. You’re exhausted all the time. The majority of your day is spent on tasks you

find either mind-numbingly dull or overwhel-ming.

You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated.

How to tackle work-related stress

Advice for employees

● Factors to consider in relation to work-related stress include:

- the atmosphere (or ‘culture’) in your workplace and how stress is viewed;

- the demands that are placed on you, and the hazards you are exposed to;

- how much control you have in how you do your job; - how clear you are on what your job is; - what support you receive from colleagues and managers, and - what training you are given to do your job.

Actions that you can take to keep safe from stress may include:

● asking for more responsibility in planning your own work;● asking to be involved in decision-making about your area of

work; ● talking to your manager, employee representative, or other

supportive colleague if you think you are being harassed, and keep a record of what has happened;

● talking to your manager if your job responsibilities are not clear;

● asking for training if you feel you need it, and ● talking to your manager or employee representative if you

begin to feel that you can’t cope.

Advice for employers

The charity Mentality have produced “A toolkit for Mental Health Promotion in the workplace” which looks at practical steps for addressing mental he-alth in the workplace.  The toolkit contains the following suggestions:● PROMOTING the mental health and well-being of all staff

by: - recognising that all staff have mental health needs - raising awareness of what people can do to look after their own and- others’ mental well-being - identifying and addressing the factors that affect mental health in the workplace

● Offering assistance, advice and SUPPORT.  This should in-clude:

- building a working culture in which mental health issues are not taboo - providing support options which are confidential and non-stigmatising - employment practices should be reviewed to ensure that staff with a history of mental health problems are not excluded.

It might surprise some employers that a staff member who has experienced mental illness such as depression, for example, can be an asset. They often have a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses, and can help and support other members of staff with similar problems.

Employers have an obligation to manage work-related stress, through the Framework Directive 89/391/EEC,which deals with health and safety in the EU

Your employer has a legal duty to protect your health and safety at work, including protecting you against the effects of stress. Your employer should identify the causes of work-related stress, assess the risks and take preventive action be-fore you become ill.

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/User/Moje%20dokumenty/Pobieranie/EuropeanAgency-OSHA_200px.jpg

Bibliography:

http://www.thesite.org/workandstudy/working/workwelfare/mentalhealthatworkhttp://www.healthatwork.org.uk/workplace/topic.asp?p=21http://osha.europa.eu/en/topics/stress

Thank You for your attention

Questions?No.

Thank You for your attention ;)file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/User/Moje%20dokumenty/Pobieranie/owltards.jpg