Future Meetings
click here

Stress In The Workplace

There was yet another well-attended meeting of the Burton Business Club at the Branston Golf Club, Club Chairman in February. After the usual eat before you meet meal, this month’s presentation was by long-time member, Philip Norris of Norris Management Ltd and the night’s topic was “People In Your Business.” Philip is a locally based management consultant who specialises in advising businesses both corporate and small throughout the UK on people and their projects.

Philip informed members that his talk was going to be in the nature of a story about a successful electronics company that was started 5 years ago and was reaching a crossroads and needed to make some changes. The company directors were faced with the happy problem of landing a huge order that would immediately increase the turnover by some 50% but were experiencing staff, communication and relationship difficulties The morale was low and the founding directors, unchanged from the beginning, were under considerable stress.

Having set the scene, Philip entertained the members about real life situations (but with the names and faces to protect the innocent) from his experience that are a common feature in the life of company development. Stories included Harry, a managing director who sacked a hitherto valued member of staff without going through the correct Employment Act procedures in a fit of pique during a technical discussion. Another was about Doris, an office manager (and cousin of one of the Directors) who would not nor could not change or grow with the business and thus became a complete bottleneck to the business.

Philip revealed that stress in the workplace is a rising phenomenon in the UK with a doubling of days lost in 10 years to 13.5 million days in 2009. More telling is the worrying statistic for any business is that work related stress last year resulted in an average of over 30 working days lost. He gave some useful pointers to the members on the business owner’s responsibilities under health and safety at work and discrimination legislation and some possible ways to tackle such issues.

Finally, Philip set the members to work filling in a personal stress questionnaire. Some members were surprised whilst others were seemingly quite comfortable at their results. The resulting banter and good humour rounded off the presentation.

Derek Liddle, Club Chairman, thanked Philip for his presentation noting that he was sure that members found it most informative and useful. Derek went on to remind members that the AGM was coming up fast in April and there would be a change of personnel. He would be standing down to become vice-chairman at the end of his two year stint and Lorraine Holden, current vice-chair, would be taking over.