There is no shortage of stress and strain in modern life. From worrying about overdraft charges to problems at work, or coping with life-changing events, the daily pressures can easily take a toll.
When these strains overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, the result is stress. A person experiencing stress may be irritable, anxious, forgetful, or have a low mood. Stress itself is not an illness, but persistent or severe stress can trigger physical conditions, such as stroke, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and insomnia.
Work-related stress is a significant cause of illness, sickness absence, staff turnover and underperformance, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
Pressure at work is a motivator, and everyone needs some to perform at their best. But piling on the pressure will only have a positive influence on performance up to a point. Once performance has peaked, any further increases in pressure have a gradual detrimental effect on a person’s output. It is at this point that people start to experience stress, and if pressure continues to rise performance will plummet and a nervous breakdown can occur.
For engineers, the relationship between pressure and performance appears to be different. Professor Sayeed Khan, chief medical adviser to the manufacturers’ organisation the EEF, says that, like workers in other sectors, engineers generally perform better with rising pressure. But, instead of an engineer’s performance trailing off as things become more difficult, their performance will not significantly deteriorate until the individual is experiencing high levels of stress. This can mean that any resulting breakdown seems to come out of nowhere.
Khan says: “There are two reasons for this. One is that engineers tend to be fairly resilient, the other is that they do not accept when they have a problem. They will just struggle on.”
A factor driving this deviation from the norm among engineers is that there are far more men than women in engineering. Talking about problems is a good stress-busting tactic, says Khan. Men tend to have fewer close friends to talk to than women, and are less inclined to talk about their issues with the ones that they have. This can leave them on the back foot when it comes to dealing with stress.
Engineers often have a pessimistic streak, says Khan. While this is a valuable personality trait when designing and producing equipment and items that need to be safe and robust, it is less helpful in dealing with stress. Optimistic people are more likely to see a stressful event as part of a bad day, where a pessimist may be unable to see an end to the issues.
The deadline-driven nature of engineering can also cause stress for workers. The need for processes to be tight and delivered just on time may contribute to on-the-job stress. According to Khan, the people in manufacturing responsible for outputs but not in control of the processes that deliver them are especially vulnerable to stress. Often, working environments are dangerous, which can pile on pressure.
Another stress-driving criticism levelled at all branches of engineering is that managers lack the “soft skills” that are important in dealing with other people. Such qualities include communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills. As Khan explains, engineers tend to be much happier dealing with concrete facts rather than their feelings and emotions or those of their colleagues. In many instances, those who are technically good at their job get promoted to management positions and may not receive adequate training on how to manage others. “The number-one factor as to whether you get stressed at work or not is your relationship with your manager,” says Khan. Poor management contributes to stress for managers too, who may feel unable to cope with situations they face.
Despite the pressures of engineering, the number of people taking more than four weeks off work in a single episode – known as long-term sickness absence – because of stress has fallen in manufacturing by 25% in the past five years.
Every year the EEF conducts an annual survey of members about sickness absence and rehabilitation. Figures released this year suggest that half as many employers named stress as one of the top three causes of long-term sickness absence in 2010 compared to 2006.
Part of this trend could be because doctors are increasingly using more precise terms to describe stress-related illness, such as anxiety and depression, says the report. But this is unlikely as there has been no corresponding rise in the number of reports of other mental illnesses.
The recent fall in stress-related absence comes as the number of sick days taken by staff for any cause over the past five years has also declined. In 2010, the average number of sick days taken by staff of EEF member organisations was five, down from 6.7 in 2007. Also, manufacturers that are not EEF members have reportedly seen a drop in absences owing to stress.
The fall in stress appears to be unique to manufacturing. “This has not been seen in the public sector or anywhere else. Something is being done right in manufacturing,” says Khan.
The EFF has done much over the years to convince employers that stress is a problem and that it can be managed. Engaging organisations and line managers with the issues surrounding stress in a way that is familiar to them has been at the heart of this strategy.
“We stopped calling it stress because engineers didn’t like that,” says Khan. Instead the group used the phrase “work organisation” to get people on board. Using processes similar to those found in lean manufacturing, the strategy looks at how employees’ work is organised and whether changes could help staff to perform more effectively and subsequently mitigate stress.
A questionnaire that asks employees to rate aspects of work on a scale of one to five helps to gauge the health of staff and working environments. The areas covered in the assessment include employees’ relationships with managers and colleagues, whether they feel valued, how they rate the environment of the workplace, and their workload and work-home balance.
The results can be used to flag any trouble areas that may be developing in managers’ blind-spots. Accompanying guidance then helps employers nip any problems in the bud before they adversely affect staff. It is likely that taking a proactive approach to the proportion of the workforce who are on the verge of difficulty is driving the decline in stress rates, says Khan.
Schaeffler UK is one of the companies that has been using the EEF’s work organisation questionnaire to monitor employees’ stress levels. Adrian Roberts, HR director at the firm, says that stress is less of a problem in the 350-strong workforce than it used to be.
Absenteeism in the company has fallen from 4% to just over 1% in recent years. During this time the company has put several measures in place to help employees to manage levels of workplace stress.
Although these have been successful, Roberts says it is not likely that the 3% fall in absenteeism is entirely down to better stress management among employees. “But having these safety nets in place helps,” he adds.
The striving for leanness in manufacturing has taken people out of organisations, and this puts additional expectations and demands on those who remain, explains Roberts. “We’ve put measures in place to highlight that there are issues occurring, and if necessary get the support mechanisms in earlier,” he adds.
As well as using the questionnaire, managers have been trained to recognise the early signs of stress among workers. This includes keeping a check on working hours and watching out for those who are missing deadlines, arriving at work late, or are agitated with others.
Employees with problems can call on a resident occupational health doctor and nurse, and phone a confidential counselling helpline. They also receive private healthcare benefits.
On top of this, the company has given team leaders, managers and other senior staff training in neuro-linguistic programming. This is a technique that helps to understand and alter unconscious levels of thought and behaviour. Roberts says the courses have helped staff to understand themselves and their managers. “Doing that helps guard against moving into potential stress areas,” says Roberts.
Promoting worker well-being
Staff well-being and job satisfaction are fundamental considerations at Igus, the Northampton-based bearings and chains supplier that employs around 70 people. The company has deliberately implemented a flat management structure that encourages workers to make decisions rather than always referring upwards. This, it says, means staff take ownership and responsibility, and therefore feel empowered.
“Even the physical layout of the offices and factory is designed to create a spirit of openness,” says Matthew Aldridge, a director at Igus. “It’s mainly open plan, with some glass walls, and no obvious hierarchy. We promote a positive company culture and want staff to take responsibility. This is a way of ensuring that problems do not fall down cracks between departments.”
Igus took a decision several years ago to offer free hot food in its canteen. The aim is to allow staff to get in early for breakfast, and to lunch together, rather than go offsite. Aldridge says that this seemingly simple policy has had a profound effect on the business, helping to create high staff morale and subsequently low staff turnover. “We feel it’s really important,” says Aldridge.
“Directors, managers, engineers, shopfloor staff - everyone is encouraged to mix and to be comfortable in each other’s company. We have also found that the canteen acts as a melting pot for good ideas.”
Search for the right work/life balance
Paul Skidmore, 53, is purchasing manager at heat and controls firm Chromalox. He says: “Work frequently has to come first, so I’ve missed some of my children’s childhood. One of the biggest problems is the BlackBerry. Five years ago, you switched off on holiday. Now I constantly check my messages. The internet’s equally intrusive. Its accessibility encourages use, reducing family time.”
Malcolm Woodward, 69, co-founded Wulstan, which designs machine tools and associated equipment, in 1975. He says: “I do 45 to 50 hours per week Monday to Friday, and I frequently work weekends, to keep promises.
“I average 3,000-4,000 travel miles a year. I haven’t retired, as people keep ordering. There’s no guaranteed basic if you’re self-employed.”
Andy Earnshaw, 57, is a senior design engineer for Teledyne Cormon, producing corrosion detection equipment in Worthing. He also works long hours. “I work from 7.30 until 5-6pm, excluding weekends. Family life is important, but I would come in for a specific requirement.”
Which demands have increased? “Paperwork, in particular for the European pressure equipment directive.” And how does he plan to balance work with family life? “We’re recruiting. Staff training demands time, but it’ll be worth it.”
by Alan Dale
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