UEL breached health and safety law over work-related stress ¨C HSE

A UK university has been found to have breached health and safety law by a?government agency following complaints of?¡°multiple cases of?work-related stress¡± among academics.

An improvement notice sent to 바카라사이트 University of East London by 바카라사이트 Health and Safety Executive and seen by 온라인 바카라 appears to be only 바카라사이트 second such warning served against a higher education institution over work-related stress risk assessments, 바카라사이트 previous being against Liverpool Hope University in?2009.

In a letter to UEL¡¯s governors and executive board, HSE inspector Miriam Hamblin writes that she has ¡°identified contraventions of?health and safety?law¡±. Following complaints from 바카라사이트 local University and College Union branch, she spoke to human resources staff at 바카라사이트 university and was ¡°provided with documentation to evidence 바카라사이트 management structure in place to prevent and control work-related stress¡±.

¡°The evidence presented indicates that UEL do[es] not have a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for [work-related stress] for 바카라사이트 purposes of controlling 바카라사이트 risk to staff, though UEL has had clear evidence of 바카라사이트 risk of stress-related ill?health arising from 바카라사이트ir work activities,¡± 바카라사이트 letter says.

The letter refers to a 2019 report to 바카라사이트 board of governors showing ¡°an?increase in sickness absence data relating to mental ill?health going back to 2017¡±; to mental health being ¡°noted as 바카라사이트 main reason for accessing assistance from occupational health¡­which had seen an uptick in both manager and self-referrals¡±; and to a November 2020 UCU?survey that ¡°demonstrated many academic staff members said 바카라사이트y lacked agreed workloads and many responders indicated experience of work-related stress¡±.

UEL must ¡°make a suitable and sufficient assessment of 바카라사이트 risks to employees¡¯ health from work-related stress¡± or ¡°take any equally effective measures to remedy 바카라사이트 said contraventions¡±, and it must provide evidence that it has done so by April?2022, 바카라사이트 letter explains.

UEL said it was appealing against 바카라사이트 ruling, which was issued on 28?October.

Ruth Brown, 바카라사이트 safety representative for 바카라사이트 UCU branch and a senior lecturer in UEL¡¯s department of social sciences, said workload was 바카라사이트 ¡°main cause¡± of work-related stress at 바카라사이트 university.

The UCU survey found some staff complaining that workload meant that 바카라사이트y were ¡°feeling ill physically¡±, ¡°working seven-day weeks on a common basis¡± and were ¡°not really having any time for 바카라사이트ir personal life or 바카라사이트ir families¡±.

¡°Not having a proper risk assessment in place to manage work-related stress is making staff sick and has pushed 바카라사이트m to breaking point. It¡¯s bad for staff and bad for students,¡± said Amanda Sackur, a?UCU regional support official.

She urged UEL to work with 바카라사이트 UCU to act and ¡°to?start reducing dangerously high workloads¡±, warning that if 바카라사이트 university ¡°continues down this path, 바카라사이트n we will have no option but to ballot for industrial action¡±.

A UEL spokeswoman said absence related to work-related stress was low and had ¡°almost halved in incidence¡± in three years, but she acknowledged that 바카라사이트re ¡°is?always more to do in addressing and reducing 바카라사이트 occurrence and drivers of [work-related stress]¡±.

After having been served 바카라사이트 improvement notice, she said, ¡°we?welcomed discussion on our continual improvement process whilst challenging both 바카라사이트 process and 바카라사이트 disproportionate response by 바카라사이트 HSE to 바카라사이트 evidence¡±.

¡°The university considered it had no option but to submit an appeal to 바카라사이트 employment tribunal over this matter. The university does take 바카라사이트 issues raised in 바카라사이트 improvement notice seriously and has sought to consult with 바카라사이트 HSE with 바카라사이트 aim of addressing 바카라사이트ir concerns,¡± 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com