Stress

The findings of the Stress Survey in Officers in the UK Fire Service clearly demonstrate that there is a significant problem relating to stress levels amongst Fire Service Officers. The practical outcomes of performance management systems are well known. First is the intensification of work, so that rest periods and other opportunities to pause and reflect are designed out of the work processes, the intensification of supervision processes, absence management, performance appraisal systems and the increase in pressure on Officers to achieve financial and service delivery performance targets. This Conference calls upon the Executive Council to utilise the findings of the 2004 Officers Stress Survey to resist attempts to increase workloads on Officers by the use of performance management