«OSHAD» identifies 6 measures to protect against stress «work and family»

The Abu Dhabi Occupational Health and Safety Center (OSHAD) called on employers to provide all procedures and means that will protect employees and workers from work stress, pointing out that although employers do not bear legal responsibility for stress that arises due to the family situation, but that It is not forbidden to make arrangements to protect the worker from the effects of stress caused by family problems.

The center identified six key actions that employers must provide and commit to implement, to ensure the protection and treatment of employees and workers from work stress, including «demands, control, support, relationships, tasks and change».

In a statement, Oshad stressed that the work-related stress management program implemented by Abu Dhabi's employers should be based on the results of the risk assessment, according to the general framework of the occupational safety and health system in the emirate. To ensure the protection and treatment of employees and workers from work stress, includes “demands, control, support, relationships, tasks and change”.

In a recent work stress management manual, the Center stated that when an organization designs a work stress management program, the design must take into account the employer's situation of appropriate demands, which employees can achieve within agreed working hours, and that the capabilities and skills of workers are appropriate to implement demands. Work must be designed according to the abilities of employees, in addition to addressing the potential problems experienced by workers in the workplace.

He stressed that the program should contain a measure related to the employee's ability to control the way he performs his work, where appropriate, employees are free to control the pattern and rate of work they do, and should encourage employees to develop new skills to help them perform new parts of the work, which represents Challenging them, he stressed that the employer should consult with employees on the choice of rest time, as well as on appropriate work patterns.

According to the guide, improving the positive environment in the work environment aims at avoiding conflicts and dealing with rejected behaviors at all levels of the business entity, through employer policies and procedures to provide appropriate support for workers, and the existence of systems to enable and encourage workers to support their colleagues, and the need to familiarize workers The quality of support available to them, how to obtain it, and how to access the resources needed to perform their functions.

With regard to “relationships”, the guide states that employers should spread positive behaviors in the work environment, to avoid conflicts, ensure justice, engage employees in information relevant to the nature of their work, and have agreed policies and procedures to avoid unacceptable behaviors. To create systems to empower managers and encourage them to deal with rejected behaviors, and others to empower employees and encourage them to report rejected behaviors.

The manual stressed the need for each worker to understand his or her duties, and if the employer ensures that there is no conflict in the tasks between its employees, and ensure that the employers are consistent with the different requirements they impose on the workers, and provide the necessary information to enable workers to understand the tasks and responsibilities And that the requirements they impose on employees are clear enough, other than providing systems to enable workers to report problems they encounter with any observations, or conflicts with their duties and responsibilities.

On how to manage change and how it is mainstreamed within the employer, the guide states that the employer should provide workers with the necessary information in a timely manner, to enable them to understand the reasons for the proposed changes, and ensure that workers are provided with the required advice on the proposed changes and are given the opportunity to participate in Developing these proposals, stressing the importance of knowing the workers of the possible effects of any changes made on the nature of their work, and training employees to support the implementation of these changes in the work, as well as being familiar with the timetables set for making the changes.

The manual called on employers to identify those responsible for handling complaints and reports of work-related stress, noting that it is preferable for managers to take any of the following four actions as they see fit. To the complaint, and what can be done about his complaint, and the use of experts when stress is severe and a mistake occurred because of it, and things went beyond the limits of the manager's control.

Involve HRM staff, occupational health officials, and a representative of the person concerned in working on the problem, when the complaint involves problems with relationships with the line manager or other team members, and if a work-related problem can be clearly monitored, it is important that the situation in As soon as possible, even if it represents concessions on both sides of the problem, because it is easier to intervene to resolve the problem successfully while the individual concerned is on the job, than to do so after leaving his job with a disease.

“Employers are not legally responsible for stress arising from family situations, but the employer must make arrangements to cope with such stress. This may include, for example, providing access to counseling services, providing mechanisms Coping with work, as well as changing working hours if possible. ”

5 destinations to receive workers' complaints

The Abu Dhabi Occupational Health and Safety Center (ADSSC) Guidelines have confirmed that the main objective of the work-related stress management program is to address issues that are a potential source of stress on workers' groups.

Employers must provide five destinations through which employees can report their observations or problems. First, create an environment that encourages employees to speak through formal and informal channels to their managers or any of their business managers, and remind employees that they may speak to health representatives. And safety or HR staff on related matters.

Third, encourage workers to speak to any employer, seek advice from an occupational health adviser, a physician or a licensed psychologist from the Abu Dhabi Health Authority, if they are concerned about their health, and provide counseling and other support from colleagues. Providing assistance or counseling services to employees.

«OSHAD» calls for the deployment of positive behaviors in the work environment.