A Health & Safety executive report has stated that the UK alone loses almost £4bn a year due to stress-related illness. Apparently this is almost seven million working days lost due to an ever-increasing culture of longer working hours, high pressure and job insecurities.

In this industry, it is well known and documented that there is a lot of pressure to perform and there are motivational issues as well. Too often, this excess pressure builds up until it affects the individual as illness, anxiety and depression.

Are you stressed? What methods do you use to release yourself from stress - winding down, pressure management and so on.

Are you coping? Do you think that your job is more stressful than it needs to be? What wouldyou change to alleviate the stress?

We'll be publishing a series of articles on the modern call centre workplace in the very near future, and would like to hear from you if you have anything to add on this subject.

All the best,

John

Hi John,

I am frequently feeling stressed at work and sometimes just wish I could afford to jack it all in. Other times the day passes so quickly, that I do not realise that I have been sitting at my desk for 8 hours without so much as a loo break.

I feel that management don't always focus on getting to know their staff. Just the other day I was sitting at my desk when the CEO walked past. He didn't even acknowledge me, and to be perfectly honest I do not even think he knows my name.

I want them to respect my privacy but at the same time I want them to ask if they can help when I am feeling lost and a bit insecure about the job - even if once a year they do tell me that I am in the top three ........ a little more happiness in the work place and a little more of the human touch would make everything a little more pleasant.

Sarah

By the way - the lottery tomorrow is for 17 millions pounds - if anyone wins and they need a hand in spending... please get in touch.S

"I feel that management don't always focus on getting to know their staff"

You're right Sarah, it's one of those things that should happen ( and we all recognise that it shoudl happen ) but doesn't always. You have to think like a manager to understand that it's a difficult thing to do, finding the time to get to know staff without coming across falsely. I am as susceotible to stress as everyone else and don't normally have the time to spend with staff.

WHat's a useful way of trying to break down the barriers is to have fairly regular social events or at least join in when everyone goes down to the pub after closing.

Rob

Hi Sarah,

Our company has a philosophy that ever Friday from 3.45pm til 5.00pm we have inform meeting where everyoone airs their views about their week both good and bad this is over away from your working envirmonment, normally in our Board Room. This gives us the opportunity to get to know everyone and reduces any atmosphere in the office and reduces the stres levels for everyone.

Hope your environment can change to ours soon

Ps these meetings are for everyone from Sales Team, Directors and all the staff at every level

I have found that it is managers that put a high emphasis on getting to know their teams that have the highest productivity and lowest sickness rates

It's the age old issue of "Hire a man (person) manager to manage people, Hire a Project managerto manage projects"

In my opinion, too many managers join call centres in the hope that they will be made a project manager.

HR departments need to do a better job of iterating the importance of people management