Andor Technology – stress management
| Company name | Andor Technology |
|---|---|
| Sector | Manufacturing |
| Number of employees | 200 |
| Type of workforce | Employees work mostly in hi-tech engineering and manufacturing |
What issue was the organisation facing?
Employee opinion surveys and absence monitoring indicated an increase in staff stress levels and sickness absence from 2003-2005. The company recognised a duty to:
- raise awareness of stress and how it should be proactively managed
- encourage employees’ to improve their health, work and well-being through such factors as poor diet, smoking and fitness.
What action did the organisation take?
- Training sessions for managers helped them to recognise stress, manage attendance and create an environment where staff feel comfortable to discuss any concerns.
- Policies to support a well-being culture were created – these covered absence due to illness, working from home and well-being. The performance and development management system was also improved.
- The well-being policy was implemented with free fruit for all staff, on-site juice bar, pedometers, corporate gym memberships, fitness classes, massages, blood pressure checks and BMI checks.
- Better management of sickness absence was introduced, with clearer notification and certification procedures, analysis of absence levels, return-to-work interviews, better referral to occupational health, appropriate contact with absent employees and phased returns to work.
- A free 24-hour confidential counselling service was commissioned to provide services to staff.
- A smoking cessation course was run and a cycle scheme was rolled out for staff.
What has been the impact of implementing health interventions?
- Absences have fallen from 2.33% in March 2006 to 1.8% in March 2007. The company now captures reasons for every absence, obtains medical certificates for longer illness as well as receiving information from occupational health in order to case manage recurring problems.
- 33% of those who attended the smoking cessation course have given up.
- 15% of employees admit to having joined a gym as a result of reduced corporate membership and 10% of staff now bike to and from work.
- Employees are more open, honest and trusting about raising issues within the work environment with management.
- The counselling service has been used by 4% of staff in the six months since it began. Statistics show that employees are using the service to discuss personal rather than work-related issues.