Best Practice Example

Transcription

1 Interview Information Date: Duration: 60 min Remarks: Best Practice Example Result: UQuality Score:U 78 points UTransfer Score: 80U points A. General Enterprise Information Company / Organisation Stadtwerke Klagenfurt Gruppe Postal Address St Veiter Straße 31 City Klagenfurt Country Austria Name (Contact Person) Position (Contact Person) Mag Martina Marko Organisation and personnel development -Address (Contact Person) martina.marko@stw.at Phone number (Contact Person) Website Sector / Branch (NACE) Services Number of Employees 786 Publications (Sources) Age Sex male female Total < to Total

2 B. Policy & Corporate Culture: Description (max. 500 words) The WHP project in STW Klagenfurt was initiated because of the following problems:- - Unusually long sick leave considering the type and severity of the illness - Massive restructuring and reorientation of different areas of the enterprise within the last 2 years (optimisation of business processes) and therefore an increased amount of work per employee, increased need for flexibility and an increased necessity of fitting in to the changing structure. - Change of corporate strategy and corporate culture and management style - Change from public domain to free market - employees working in areas with physical strain have more sick leave and are less able to work due to degenerative disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The effects resulting from this were:- - increase in psycho-mental reactions fro m the employees - problems in staff management - problems with either slow or very fast flow of information - decreased identification of the employees with the company - increased desire for change within the company (employee turnover) This was the background to the board of director s decision to ask the HR department to look into WHP. The following aims were defined.:- 1. Collection and documentation of physical and organisation/physiological situation of the employees of StadtWerke Klagenfurt AG, Energie Klagenfurt GmbH 2. Strengthen self-reliance and increase awareness of health promotion 3. Increase health awareness, motivation and identification 4. Implement health promotion and prevention 5. Increased physical and mental wellbeing both at work and in private life. 6 Information and explanation 7 increased job satisfaction 8. The board of directors and management to see health as important and future oriented The prevention programme prevention programme psycho-mental strain was developed as a practical aim for the mental health area. UTarget group 1 Employees who are showing stress reactions owing to exogenic and endogenic strain - 2

3 UInitial situation In the public transport section studies showed that particularly older drivers showed stress factors owing to increased traffic and difficult passengers. UTarget group 2 Employees who feel under stress and who would like help UInitial situation Because of the higher demands at the workplace, more flexibility is necessary. Fitting the management strategies to the new work and organisational structure is difficult as possibilities for adaptation are lacking and staff show signs of stress. All employees should have the opportunity to attend training on coping with stress. UTarget group 3 Managers who recognise the spirit of the times and are interested in personnel management. UInitial situation Increasingly obvious demotivation, stress reactions and the inner resignation of workers. Employees also always had the opportunity to participate in the planning and conception of the project - through the employee survey - by working in the health circles - by giving ideas to the health circles - through the questions of the evaluator 1. management, 2. employees who were active ion the project 3. employees who did not work on the project - meetings with all the department heads - one to-one meetings with the works doctor/project leader - 3

4 C. Organisation & Structure: Description (max. 500 words) There was no special group for mental health as this is part of WHP. The following tools were used for this. Project leaders UParticipants Works doctor Personnel management UResponsibilities - preparation - applications for financial support - definition of project aims, activities and quality criteria - setting up project organisation suitable for WHP - development of project content - project steering and quality assurance - interface between project organisers and decision makers, participants and target groups - Transfer of the project results - Dealing with questions of participation and empowerment, motivation, creating acceptance and dealing with resistance - coordination - particiapation in the steering group - organisation of circles - organisation of workshops, seminars, lectures, screening - steering coordination of documentation and evaluation - health report with help of company IT Steering group Participants - Directors, managemenrt - Personell management - Works council - Marketing - Works doctor - safety personnel - safety officer - 4

5 - representative of Carinthian Health Insurance Institute - external expert for WHP UResponsibilities - Agreement on aims and priorities - Steering of the whole process - passing of resolutions on the project plans presented - opinions and resolutions on new analyses and proposals for improvement, new projects and results - resolutions on the health report -resolutions on measures concerning PR - resolutions on necessary instruments for analysis, documentation and evaluation - informing the internal PR about the project aims and status - creation of the necessary acceptance and confidence towards health related developments in the company Health circles 1. Opportunity for interested employees to participate in the recognition of weak points in the company concerning health. Active participation in the development, planning and implementation of relevant measures. 2. Responsibilities 3. Practical analysis of strain factors in the relevant fields 4. Pointing out problems not seen by management or external experts. Every employee is an expert in his/her field 5. Cooperation in developing improvements Benefits - Exchange of experience for employees from different areas. Active particiapüation in WHP increases its acceptance - Improvement of cooperation and communication. Stronger individual competence when dealing with strain - Reduction of behaviour patterns creating risk - 5

6 D. Implementation: Description (max. 500 words) Using the SALSA questionnaire, workplace strain factors for the employees were shown up and also the employees became more conscious of health and sensitised to the topics general health and workplace health. Employees who were interested could work in the health circles after the SALSA evaluation to discover the weak points of in-company health factors and work on the development, planning and implementation of relevant measures.. The following was worked out concerning mental health:- URelaxation training Groups of 12 learn relaxation techniques in 6 teaching units. UBrief intervention programme To recognise early stages of illness and periods of strain, individual psychological counselling is offered anonymously UWorkshop Stress factors at the workplace, factors for job satisfaction (for management) An important point for personnel management is a basic knowledge of what factors at work contribute to job satisfaction and which factors create and strengthen job satisfaction in the employees. UWorkshop Etiquette in Communication Particularly in areas were there have been organisational changes in the company there are problems with integration and communication, according to employees Aims/benefits -Early use of relaxation techniques before the onset of mental illness - Older bus drivers are offered counselling/help in coping with stress/refresher course in dealing with difficult customers - Recognition of stress reactions what triggers stress - Measures to cope with stress and mood disorders in advance - The management should know what the employees expect - Basic knowledge about what factors influence job satisfaction should be made known - When the wishes, aims and expectations of the employees are known, the working atmosphere can be improved - Clear and efficient communication improves internal and interdisciplinary cooperation Improvement of the internal corporate culture by means of competent communication - Conflict management social learning UProgressive muscle relaxation Jacobson method - 6

7 Three courses with 7 units are offered with the aim of reducing stress symptoms and increasing concentration and productivity UWorkshop stress management 3 workshops were held with the aim of recognising stress factors early, dealing with stress at work, and building up resistance USeminar conflict Management Three seminars on conflict management were held. Contents included strategies for dealing with conflicts, setting limits and building up protective mechanisms as well as health promoting resources UWorkshop Health Promoting Management The project leader explained the results of the SALSA survey to senior staff and held a workshop on Health Promoting Management UFurther education and training Management training programmes were introduced. Concepts for training and further education are continuously developed according to the company s needs. UEmergency psychological care After traumatic experiences it is possible to have free emergency psychological care if desired UPsychological coaching and supervision Employees can have psychological coaching and supervision. - Additional possibilities in the case of illness: - Adjustment of the work volume - Work which promotes learning and personal development - Individual counselling for employees with mental health problems - 7

8 E. Evaluation: Description (max. 500 words) The evaluation was done externally. The process monitoring was the basis for change and improvements in the project. The project team meetings were the foundation for the process and structure evaluation which accompanied the project. The process evaluation was conducted continuously through the documentation of each stage of the project. The project control took place by means of the feedback questionnaires and interviews ( what is working well what should be improved ). The project team and the evaluator participated in the aims and indicators workshop, for which the project leader gave the evaluator all the relevant documents for her preparations. In February 2009 interviews were carried out with a focus group as an interim evaluation. These showed the current tendency and gave information for the further work in the WHP project. Employees were given a questionnaire dealing with specific measures during a survey towards the end of the project. Evaluation included:- The second employee survey at the end of the project compared job satisfaction, motivation factors, health awareness (SALSA questionnaire with the additional question Did I participate in the first survey? What has changed since then?) Employee survey after participation in a seminar or workshop concerning the usefulness, possibility of transferring the content to everyday work, fulfilment of aims. Feedback from seminar/workshop leader concerning acceptance, cooperation, interest, Number of participants in workshops, training courses, seminars, health examinations (too many, slightly too many, further needs, follow programme required?) Number of forward- looking proposals/ measures concerning improvements. Workplace design, improvement of work processes, organisation of work. Comparison with external benchmarks. UCriteria for success - long term reduction of days lost through illness, at least to the level usual in the branch (target/actual comparison, beginning - end of project) - reduction of new cases of psychological/mental illness and disorders of the musculoskeletal system - increase in health awareness/motivation/identification with the enterprise (second health survey after measures had been carried out for target/actual comparison) - long term reduction of accidents at work UTransferability - 8

9 The STW group of enterprises covers a wide area of job specifications. The range of different jobs and work processes within a branch reflects a very representative cross-section of the world of work. The problems apparent owing to the present situation are also a reflection of the current job situation in Austria. The measures planned basically follow the relevant scientific principles, and the foundations, problem definitions and measures developed will be applicable to many Austrian companies in at least some of the details. Sustainability The measures are to be integrated in the corporate culture. Including the works council in further measures is being considered. Workplace health promotion will be included as a fixed point in health and safety Health promotion measures should be included in the time available. Training and further education are to be integrated in personnel development measures. - through the active participation of the employees, health and safety regulations as an instrument set externally will become a self-determined instrument of WHP. - Instead of we have to employees will say we want to.. as they perceive the relevant factors and necessities and their relevance for everyday work. - Important factors for success involve including the senior staff in WHP for the necessary exchange between decision makers and employees - transparency of WHP for all employees - Integration of the results and experiences in everyday organisation. - This should be achieved by the inclusion of WHP in health and safety. Transfer of information by means of the health report, health pages in the local Intranet and a freely available proposal system for WHP. STW AG is making efforts to continue supporting WHP after the end of the project, and has set further steps towards sustainability with the current 3 pillar programme. - 9