Many factors can add strain to the life of a publican, but something can be done. John Hill talks tension.
What will be your contribution to National Stress Awareness day? The Health and Safety Exec-utive (HSE) defines work-related stress as "the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demands placed upon them". And boy, does the licensed trade know about excessive demands!
Stress continues to be a major risk to both the health and business of publicans. Everything from pressure from the press on binge-drinking to the Licensing Act 2003 and all the red tape associated with it adds to what you have to cope with. The list can go on to include all the specific issues relating to you and your particular business.
So how do you know when stress is giving you problems? Check for the following symptoms. Are you:
- being forgetful?
- accident prone?
- eating irregularly?
- smoking and/or drinking excessively?
- trying to do more than one job at the same time?
- finding no time for exercise and relaxation?
Ask your partner if any of the above apply to you, and if they do you need to take action - and take it now! Most people do not do anything until they have a breakdown or their first heart attack (if they survive it).
The most common excuses to avoid reorganising your day and doing the things that can relieve stress is to say "I haven't got the time" or "I'm short of staff" or "customers need to see me all the time".
But licensees are very important to the success of their business so you should consider yourself an asset to be nurtured and well maintained. Make sure you're eating and drinking properly and getting enough exercise and time off.
Developing good management practices in order to handle the day-to-day running of your pub is essential for your health and profitability.
That covers making sure you aren't putting the people who work for you under stress, too. In fact, that is a legal requirement.
To enforce your duty of care to your staff under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, environmental health officers are now being trained to ask for a copy of your "stress policy", and check whether you have done recent risk assessments and recorded the results.
And if that sounds like extra stress, to help small businesses comply with their responsibilities for their employees the HSE has given over part of its website to cover these issues. It provides you with all you need to know to put in place simple but effective policies and practices to reduce the effects of workplace stress.
Go to www.hse.gov.uk/stress.
John Hill is a professional stress counsellor working in the pub industry. For more information call 01622 744241.
National Stress Awareness Day - Wednesday November 2
One of the fastest and best stress busters is a good laugh - and there's no better place to have a laugh than in the pub.
So how are you going to make your customers laugh on Wednesday? It might be too late to book a comedian but there's plenty you can do to lighten up the day by giving you customers games to play, for instance, or by having a jokes contest.
Remember - if it makes people feel good it's good for business!
Maintain your assets: reduce stress for you and your staff
- Fuel regularly three times a day
- Exercise three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes at a time
- Limit exposure to the public to five-and-a-half days a week
- Give prizes to staff for reducing their nicotine intake
- Introduce decaffeinated coffee
- Replace fizzy drinks with water
- Consume fewer alcoholic drinks and/or make them weaker
- in alcohol.