The prevention and management of stress at work is fundamental for the well-being at work. |
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But this risk has been often left out until now. Introducing stress management in a company as a specific process does not automatically mean that there is a problem: it means the company has integrated stress and psychosocial factors as a potential risk for people and global performance.
Solvay has a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace as a general duty clause. This also applies to stress prevention. For example in Europe, employers are legally obliged to manage all types of risks to workers’ health and safety, as outlined in the European Council Framework Directive 89/391/EEC and more recently specifically for stress in the Framework Agreement on stress at the workplace.
As put in evidence by the Mapping on current practices on stress prevention and management, many prevention and management of stress programs have already been conducted within the Group in the different Zones.
What is stress at work ?
Stress is the state experienced by people when they perceive that there is an imbalance between:
- the demands made of them and
- the resources available to cope with those demands.
Stress itself is not an illness. However, high and/or prolonged stress may reduce effectiveness at work and may cause serious mental or physical health problems.
Stress will have an impact not only in the individual, but also in the team and in the Company.
Useful links related with stress management:
Napo film : When stress strikes
EU-OSHA - e-Guide to managing stress and psychosocial risks
What can the Sites do?
The main approach should be to limit the development of risk factors/stressors at work.
Sites can identify whether these factors are or can be present within their teams and address an action plan to prevent or limit them.
Solvay recommendations are detailed in the guideline on stress prevention and management (IND-HSE-OH-02.01-GUI):
Main principles :
Visible commitment from top management Acceptance by everyone of the reality of stress at work Multidisciplinary process including HR, OH, Managers, employees’
representatives, and when possible psychosocial expert (local steering
committee) Key role of management: exemplarity, motivation, leadership and support Appropriating the approach to the local context without seeking to duplicate
a model
4 steps approach:
1. Awareness of all employees - specific trainings (managers, etc.):
Solvay Well-Being@Work Awareness (2019): course available in 15 languages, dealing with WB@W but also with what stress is, the signs of stress and how to cope with it, the risk
factors and the protective factors to prevent stress
Stress management toolkit
2. Assessing the risk - prioritizing issues - seeking the causes
Exploring both the collective (organizational) and individual aspects of stress
Enabling employees to express themselves freely
Choosing questionnaires that have recognized validity, well adapted to the ground
- To assess the level of stress : short questionnaire with closed questions. Cohen questionnaire for stress perception is being used in several Solvay sites at individual and collective level.
On that page, PSS translations to many languages can be found.
Here the English version : PSS EN - To identify stress factors: specific questionnaire exists in many countries.
3. Implementing practical actions
4. Monitoring by indicators
For any support, please contact your Medical Medical Regional Coordinator and/or HR correspondent.
