Public Servant Lifestyle

Stressed-out staff at Carmarthenshire County Council are set to receive round-the-clock counselling to help them cope with their busy lives.

Figures reveal that stress costs the authority some £912,000 in days taken off work by employees. Executive board members are now expected to approve a policy which aims to cut down on stress-related illnesses.

Support

A range of support and counselling is planned to help staff, with detailed guidance and training for managers.

These include:

A 24-hour phone support service would be set up with unlimited access for all employees and their immediate family.

It will include different lines for specialist advice and support on problems in the workplace, bullying and harassment, legal issues, debt worries, and a general counselling line.

A stress counsellor would be employed to work at the Occupational Health Unit in Pensarn to provide independent face-to-face help.

Staff will also be offered one-to-one confidential discussions with their managers, human resources staff, union representatives or colleagues.

Flexibility in working arrangements would be looked at to help someone cope with a domestic problem.

A review of workloads and responsibilities would be carried out if a person needed help in balancing their work and family commitments.

A range of self-help methods would also be provided for all staff who would be encouraged not to bottle things up, but to take positive action to deal with stress.

Potentially Damaging

Corporate health and safety adviser Nick Paine said: "Stress is a much used word these days and tends to mean different things to different people.

"But it is a potentially damaging condition and occurs when, over a period of time, there is an imbalance between the pressures from all sources being put on an individual, and that person’s perceived ability to cope.

"Every one of us reacts in a different way to the pressures and demands of life. Most of us will be familiar with some of the symptoms we experience when we start to feel the unable to cope with those demands, feelings of mild panic, onset of a headache, sweating and nervousness are just a few.

"These feelings may affect behaviour and show as irritation, impatience, sometimes even rudeness and will be out of line with individuals’ usual behaviour. Most of us will have mechanisms for coping and these may vary from breathing exercises, listening to music and physical exercise, through to enjoying glass of wine in the evening.

"Carmarthenshire County Council recognises that stress is an issue in the workplace and is committed to helping to reduce the potential for stress whatever the causes."

Stress: Causes, Symptoms & Cures

Many situations can cause stress and council staff at Carmarthenshire are to be advised on how to head it off.

Personal problems such as money worries, bereavement, housing issues, divorce or relationships affect people.

Difficulties at work - such as lack of knowledge or support, bullying, working relationships, workloads, shift patterns and under-used skills - can cause stress. And more and more these days, trying to balance work and family commitments such as getting children to school, coping in the school holidays and looking after dependent relatives, can cause difficulty.

The physical and mental symptoms of stress include:

tiredness

depression

headaches

back/neck ache

blurred vision

sweating

dizziness

high blood pressure

abdominal pain

poor concentration

lack of confidence

poor sleep

skin rashes

chest pain

panic attacks

tearfulness and nervousness

Behaviour changes can include:

impatience

reluctance to face situations

poor timekeeping

absenteeism

poor performance

aggression

becoming a loner

Many people increase their use of stimulants such as alcohol, food, caffeine, tobacco or drugs to help them cope.
Ways of coping with stress are thinking positive, managing time effectively, being assertive, relaxation, exercise, eating a balanced diet with regular meals, no caffeine and alcohol in moderation.

Mr Paine added: "The important message to anyone suffering from stress is to get help from others. There are times when all of us have to turn to others for help. It can sometimes be the first step to admit that you are having problems coping and need support. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness or inability to cope."

More information available in Work Life Balance