Work related stress - Video interviews - Molly's story - Part 2

Summary

Highlights

• Molly initially felt unsupported and stressed due to her manager's approach. 😟
• After going on leave, HR stepped in to offer a plan that supported her return. 🤝
• Weekly meetings and revised management techniques helped Molly feel more valued. 🌈

Key Takeaways

• Molly's work stress stemmed from her manager's style, highlighting the importance of effective management. 📈
• After open discussion and support, Molly could gradually return to work, emphasizing the value of communication. 🗣️
• The company is now focused on broader risk assessments to manage stress, showcasing proactive organizational change. 🌟

Overview

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Molly's Struggle with Management Molly is struggling with her manager at work, feeling unable to communicate her issues with the company. Despite others not having problems with the manager, Molly feels depressed about the situation and uncertain about returning to work.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Perspectives on Work Related Stress The chapter explores the theme of work-related stress through a dialogue involving different perspectives. One individual expresses a personal struggle with confidence and career aspirations, suggesting a direct impact of stress on personal development. Another participant questions the return of a colleague named Molly, implying she's been away due to stress-related issues. Skepticism about the legitimacy of work-related stress is voiced, with one person regarding it as a fad, while another acknowledges a previous lack of awareness about the signs of stress. The narrative also touches on managerial responsibility in contributing to stress, indicating an acknowledgment of possibly inadequate management practices.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Sickness Levels and Productivity Concerns The chapter discusses growing concerns over high sickness levels and their impact on productivity within an organization. The narrator, a manager, is surprised by the situation as employees like Molly do not approach them to discuss work-related stress. As the second employee this year to take sick leave due to stress, Molly's case highlights a broader issue of misunderstanding about work-related stress within the organization. The rising sickness is drawing attention from directors, prompting questions and requiring solutions.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Company's Policy on Work Related Stress This chapter addresses the company's policy on work-related stress. It discusses the need for increased understanding and awareness of stress in the workplace and highlights the importance of determining the right direction for the organization. It includes a personal account from an employee, Molly, who shares her experience of being informed about the company's policy on work-related stress after returning to work from a period of illness. Her boss reached out to her to explain the policy, emphasizing the organization's commitment to managing and addressing work-related stress.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Support from HR and Returning to Work The chapter focuses on the protagonist's experience with support from HR and their boss regarding their return to work. Surprisingly, the boss appreciated the protagonist's contributions and encouraged a quick return, which was unexpected and more supportive than anticipated. Additionally, communication with HR provided a sense of comfort, especially since the protagonist found their boss intimidating. The chapter ends with an open question about what transpired following the discussion with HR.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Gradual Return and Empowerment The chapter titled 'Gradual Return and Empowerment' discusses the process of addressing workplace issues through HR and the collaborative effort with a colleague named Keith. The protagonist did not resume full-time work immediately but rather returned gradually, which helped rebuild their confidence. The structured and staged return, managed by HR and Keith, is highlighted as a significant positive aspect of the experience.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Realizations About Management Style The narrator feels empowered and valued in the team thanks to Keith's management style, which encourages autonomy. The narrator also finds relief in the postponed exams, reducing pressure. In team meetings, it becomes evident that others struggle with Keith's management approach. The conversation shifts to addressing strategies Molly's manager employs to prevent her stress.
• 03:30 - 04:00: Regulating Management Style and Building Team Collaboration The chapter discusses the realization of work-related stress as a significant issue. The speaker acknowledges not recognizing stress as a concern previously and perceives input from HR as enlightening. HR highlighted that certain management practices thought to be positive were actually detrimental. An example provided is the speaker's failure to recall praising an employee, Molly, for her good work, suggesting a need for improvement in management style and team collaboration.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Action Plan for Improvements The chapter discusses the speaker's reassessment of their management style, highlighting the challenges faced in doing so. It emphasizes the value of a team member, Molly, and the recognition of her potential. To help her reach that potential, the speaker acknowledges the need to provide positive feedback and assign more responsibilities. The implementation of regular weekly meetings is highlighted as a means to discuss progress and enhance communication. Additionally, the introduction of new team meetings has notably improved collaboration and support among staff members.
• 04:30 - 05:00: Training and Managing Stress in the Workplace The chapter "Training and Managing Stress in the Workplace" outlines steps taken to address workplace stress and improve management skills. A key focus is on the development of action plans to manage stress effectively, ensuring issues are addressed and clear records are maintained. It highlights a case where Keith, a high-performing employee, faced challenges after a promotion due to lacking management training. Efforts are being made to correct this by providing him with the necessary skills, demonstrating a commitment to both personal development and organizational improvement.
• 05:00 - 05:30: Organisational Risk Assessment The chapter highlights the significance of line managers in managing workplace stress and the necessary competencies required for their role. This will be a focus in future management training courses. A specific incident involving an employee named Molly, who went off work due to work-related stress, triggered concerns about the potential widespread issue within the organization. Initially, the response was directed towards immediate team concerns, but there is now a recognition of the need to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment across the company to address this problem.

Work related stress - Video interviews - Molly's story - Part 2 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Do you think you'll go back to work soon? I don't see how I can by the time I left work I was finding so hard to work with my manager I don't feel I can talk to work about it Others in the team don't seem to have a problem with him The company didn't do anything about the way he managed me I just feel so depressed about it all
• 00:30 - 01:00 I really really wanted a good career but I just feel like I've lost all my confidence Do you think Molly will come back to work soon? I don'y know much about this work related stress business If you ask me well I thought it was all a bit of a fad like a new fashionable thing The truth is I didn't realise I didn't know let alone recognise any singes there was a problem Apparently the way I manage people is partially to blame
• 01:00 - 01:30 which is ridicules to me I'm a good manager and if Molly couldn't come to me and talk to me then well I'm surprised This is begging to become a bit of a problem Molly is the second person this year to go off sick due work related stress in fact sickness levels generally are high at the moment It's starting to effect productivity and the director is asking questions about why this is happening We don'y know why at the moment Basically I think there's a lack of understanding within the organisation about work related stress
• 01:30 - 02:00 We need to change this increases understanding and awareness work out where we should be going as an organisation and where we're going wrong Molly you're back to work now can you tell me how this happened? My boss called me up the week I went off sick He told me there was a policy for work related stress and he told me all about it
• 02:00 - 02:30 He said he valued my contribution and he wanted me to return to work as soon as I could He was surprisingly supportive actually I can't believe I had to go off sick to hear this for the first time HR also called up which was really good because I didn't feel comfortable talking to my boss because he can be pretty intimidating What happened after talking to HR?
• 02:30 - 03:00 After talking to HR I was able to work out exactly what the issues were They also arranged a discussion with myself and Keith about how things could be improved I didn't return to work full time sight away it's been gradual so as soon as I feel I can take on a bit more I do a few more and this has really helped my confidence The best things have been the staged return sorted out by HR and Keith
• 03:00 - 03:30 and that Keith has stood back and empowered me to get on with things and I now feel like a valued member of the team Also my exams are now going to take later in the year so that's eased the pressure there as well Chatting to the other embers of the team at the team meetings I realised it wasn't just me other people found Keith's management style really had to deal with As molly's manager what have you done to try and make sure that molly won't get stressed again
• 03:30 - 04:00 Before this all happened I hadn't realised that work related stress was a problem I mean it's been a real eye-opener HR came to talk to me and explained that some of the things that I thought were good things were actually having a negative effect They asked me when was the last time I praised Molly for the good work that she was doing and I couldn't remember
• 04:00 - 04:30 I've had to reassess my management style and to be honest it's been really hard work I realise Molly is a valuable employee but to realise her full potential I have to give her positive feedback and more responsibility We have regular meetings now regular weekly meetings were we can talk about how thing are going The new team meeting have been very very useful they've encouraged better collaboration and support amongst the staff
• 04:30 - 05:00 and they've provided an opportunity to raise any problems and suggestions for improvements For Molly and Keith we've developed an action plan this provides a manageable and clear record of the improvements and changes to be made and make sure any causes of stress are properly dealt with Keith does a fantastic job of getting results but when he was promoted he wasn't give the necessary management training we're redressing this now and helping Keith develop his management skills
• 05:00 - 05:30 I believe research has indicated that importance of line managers in managing stress at work and the desired competencies for that roll we'll be considering this when developing our company management training courses When Molly signed off work due to work related stress alarm bells stared ringing in my head Our sickness absence figures indicate this could be a problem elsewhere in the organisation First of all we focused on dealing with the immediate team but now I think I need to set the ball rolling to do a full risk assessment of the company
• 05:30 - 06:00 I'll recommend to the director that we consider an organisational approach and get the staff involved to identify any problems and work out what we can do about them