Stress at work!
 

I wonder if anyone here has any experience of the laws regarding stress at work.

A small department in a company that I used to work for currently has a fair percentage of employees off sick with stress. This has been ongoing for a while, and the ones off sick were generally poor employees anyway, I wa shocked to hear about the 2 latest off with stress as they are/were very good keen employees and very skilled at their jobs.

Apparently both bouts of stress are a direct result of their manager and his handling of associates in general, it does bring a little smile because the manager in question was previously a technician and was always known by his fellow workers to be the laziest person in that department. He shirked so much that he was eventually disciplined and as a result went off work with stress. He was promoted to supervisor shortly after his return to work, and I can remember him saying to a couple of us that he was off with stress because his manager offered no support and was very bad at his job.

Do you think he has forgotten that statement?

This guy was never my boss, but he was one of managers that I said I would never work for. He was the worst poacher tun gamekeeper I ever saw, and has recently stated that anyone who doesn't like what he say's can S*d off and find a job elsewhere as there are plenty about to fill their shoes.

The most alarming part is these guys going off sick are skilled workers of a standard that will not be easy to replace, I think the guy is under stress himself and in danger of shooting his mouth off and backing himself into a corner. the guy is apparenty not a member of my fan club after I wrote a letter on behalf of an employee who was being treated badly and the employee ended up being compensated for his poor treatment, this was a complete U-turn by he HR department after they had originally backed the manager.

What is the best course of action, should the employees get together and seek legal advice?

Re: Stress at work!
 

That's what your personnel dept. is for.

Re: Stress at work!
 

They have been shown to back the manager until it looks like the employee means to take it further and land the company in trouble.

Personnel are paid by the company.

It proved so when my friend had trouble with personell/HR backing the manager and only retracting things when they knew he was seeking legal advice. They backed the manager who threatened to discipline or sack him until they could see he was not going to be bullied, as soon as they could see it was going all the way ie: after getting the facts in a letter, they turned around and said no need to go any further we had already decided to sort your problem out. :rolleyes:

I heard his manager kicked furniture around the office because he didn't get his way, he looked silly and ended up getting a telling off from HR/personell.
he only got the telling off because the company could of got into trouble over a constructive dismissal claim, if he had succeeded in bullying the employee they wouldn't of cared.

Only in ntl :shocked:

There must be someone such as Health and safety etc who could take action against employers in these cases. I say Health and safety because of the health issue that teh stress causes.

Re: Stress at work!
 

I would personally follow the chain of command first. Take it up with the manager you have a problem with, then to personnel, then if you get no joy, try the personnel director. If you're seen to be trying to go over his head, you won't get very far.

Re: Stress at work!
 

do your friends have a union? my advice is contact them if they do, because they are meant to be independent.
also if all the employees who are suffering from stress contact personell then something will have to be done. it is not good for the company to have people off due to stress. can't be very productive

Re: Stress at work!
 

Unfortunately, this sounds familiar.

My girlfriend was off work for 6 months through stress caused by her b***h of a manager.
Like your situation, the HR department were originally on the side of the manager, and my g/f started to get warnings about time off.
It was only when she went in with a letter from her doc stating what was wrong, and that she would possibly need tablets, that they started to take notice, and start doing something about it.

Unfortunately my g/f did need tablets, and counseling. This all started just over a year ago. It's been a hard time for her, and everyone involved. She is doing okay now, and is nearly completely off the tablets.

One good thing, the manager no longer works there now.

Re: Stress at work!
 

Just to make it clear to all, I am not working for the company where this is happening anymore.

As for a union, the company chose a tame union and refuse to aknowledge the CWU. I knwo many will say that makes no difference when it comes to a grievance, but a company I worked for many years ago got into bed with the GMB (Roadsweepers, cleaners and boilermakers union) They were on the lookout for a tame union to deal with.

I just cant see how employees can be going off sick with stress and nothing is being done when one manager is common to them all, as I said its now the good employees that have started to go sick not just lead-swingers.

Re: Stress at work!
 

which is why they need to talk enmass to personell... if everyone complains at once they might have no choice but to do something:confused:

Re: Stress at work!
 

i dont like teh way people get time off for being stressed - if you cant take it get another job in my opinion - librarian for example

Re: Stress at work!
 

why should you get another job if the reason your stressed is the manager?:confused:

Re: Stress at work!
 

I felt exactly the same until suffering stress myself about four years ago. no-one would believe I could get stressed because I always had a carefree attitude, when the redundancies started I rubbed my hands and said "Yes please" Without realising ie: sub consciously I was suffering. I started to get very bad psoriasis and was unable to sleep at night, I showed very few symptoms in work apart from skin problems but at home I would fly off the handle at the slightest thing. I did on numerous occassions burst into tears over the slightest little thiing that was causing me a problem.

Was this due to over work, Manager treating me badly? No.....

It was all because I would go into work and have nothing to do, like a few others I was being fairly well paid to do nothing. this situation lasted for about 12 months and I finally had to leave the job.

I tried to see a doctor and the first time I phoned they offered me an appointment in about 2 weeks, I told them not to bother because I was just too stressed and wanted an appointment right away.
I eventually made an appointment when my skin problem became very bad, it was very embarassing as it dropped off and left a trail everywhere I went. The doctor rightly diagnosed it as stress related psoriasis. (Go to the top of the class doctor) I explained the stress problems I was having and she prescribed some cream for me to rub in.

At the risk of being sexist, I think I would of got a lot more sympathy from a male doctor.

Before anyone thinks that stress is always about someone swinging the lead they should try it themselves.

Genuine stress is not nice. :disturbd:

Re: Stress at work!
 

:erm: why? because women don't get stressed? or is it rather because you feel you can talk to a male doc better?
:notopic:

Re: Stress at work!
 

I dont know why really, but I found her very un-sympathetic and generally not interested, it was my first time at the doctors for over 6 years and I felt I was being treated like some slacker who was in every week for a doctors note.

I know others locally who have different doctors and they seem to be able to get a doctors note for time off when they are clearly pulling a fast one.

I felt, and still feel that a note for 2 weeks would of done me the world of good at the time, it didn't help that I went into my next job carrying the stress with me. When I got made redundant from there, the 6 months I took off did me the world of good.

Perhaps to answer your question Bexy, I suppose women stress me :Yikes:

escapee ducks for cover

Re: Stress at work!
 

im a women do i stress you?

maybe it wasnt because the doctor was female... maybe they were just the type to want to get the patient in and out... they come in both varieties you know

Re: Stress at work!
 

No of course you dont stress me :D

You are probably right, she just wanted me out and on to the next patient.

PS: Mainly mad Zulus are the ones that stress me! :shocked: