News...

This page summarises some press coverage of mental well-being, stress management and employee health. We also include summaries of recent case law when appropriate. These stories do not necessarily represent the views of Nice Work Consulting. However, we hope they are of interest and give a flavour of what is going on in our field.

Whitehall Study links work stress and heart attack risk
The Whitehall Study which has followed more than 10,000 civil servants since the mid-1980s, has uncovered the biological mechanism that links work stress to ill health, providing the strongest evidence yet of its link with heart disease. It appears that stress upsets the part of the nervous system which tells the heart how to work and controls the variability of the heart rate. Those who reported stress were also recorded as having poor 'vagal tone' - the impulses that regulate heartbeat. Physical effects were more pronounced on weekdays, suggesting a link with work. Whitehall 11 Study, January 08

Higher and further education failing to tackle bullying among staff
In a new survey at a major northern university, 42% of academics said they feel intimidated at work, 37% feel their work is belittled and 24% feel they have been humiliated by incidents of bullying. 63% reported having witnessed bullying at work. One member of staff explains that she had warned management about the numbers of staff being made ill. Management dismissed her claims despite her detailed evidence, however the university settled just before an employment tribunal hearing. EducationGuardian, January 08

Workers continuing to work while they are sick
New research from the CMI and Simplyhealth reveals that the UK is gripped by a culture in which illness is seen to equal weakness, and that this results in people continuing to work while they are unwell. Only nearly half of those with stomach problems took time off, while a mere 9% of those suffering from stress were absent, despite a third claiming to have stress symptoms. Professors Worrall (Wolverhampton Business School) and Cooper (Lancaster University) say that this culture of 'presenteeism' is leading to declining enthusiasm and performance, and increasing levels of suspicion at work. Occupational Health at Work, December/January-07/08

Worst ailment of all
The worst health condition is not asthma, arthritis or diabetes, according to the World Health Organisation - it is depression. In the largest study of its type, almost 250,000 people in 60 countries were asked to rank the impact of long-term diseases on their health. Depression emerged as the most damaging. Times Online, September 07

Injustice is a major cause of stress
New findings from the Whitehall II longitudinal study of civil servants show that experiencing unfair treatment increases a person's chances of having a heart attack, as well as leading to poor general physical and mental health. The study found that the higher the sense of injustice the greater the risk of coronary heart disease. The authors conclude, 'Policies that promote fairness in the workplace... (e.g.fairness in the allocation of rewards and in the handling of grievances)...are likely to result in improvements in health.' Occupational Health at Work, August/September 07

British workers are increasingly unhappy in their jobs
An internet survey commissioned by insurers Unum found that satisfaction with salaries had increased since last year, however job fulfillment has not followed. Satisfaction levels had fallen concerning workloads, working relationships, the working environment, and benefits such as gym membership and health insurance. Joanne Hindle of Unum said, "As there is evidence to suggest that happy workers are more productive, employers really need to take action to increase employee satisfaction where possible." Telegraph, August 07

Depression is rife among business leaders
Philip Burguieres has used an interview with The Times to launch his campaign to destigmatise depression in the workplace. Burguieres was the chief executive of Weatherford, one of the biggest oilfield services companies in the United States. However, he became unable to handle the stresses of the job and became diagnosed with situational depression. He now says 'I can't tell you the number of CEOs who open up to me with their own stories'. Despite the common occurrence of depression in executives it is often stigmatised as an inability to cope. According to Burguieres the stigma is greater in the UK than the US and few senior managers feel they can raise this with their employer. The Times, August 07

Requirement to act on work-related stress 
Intel Corporation (UK) v Daw. 7 February 2007
Mrs Daw suffered a breakdown due to chronic depression arising from her excessive workload. She had notified the employer of her concerns but no immediate and urgent action was taken to reduce her workload. Mrs Daw had been offered free access to support and medical assistance, including confidential counselling. The Court of Appeal held that the offer of short-term counselling did not address the cause of the problem,which was the excessive workload. Compensation was assessed at in excess of £134,000.
This is a very significant judgement since it shows that where an employee is suffering from stress relating to excessive workloads, the provision of workplace counselling will not automatically serve to fulfil the employer's duty of care in stress claims.