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. 2013 May 16;4(2):95–99. doi: 10.1016/j.shaw.2013.05.002

Table 2.

Phases, tools/procedures, and outcomes of the method

Phases Tools/procedures Outcomes
1. Preliminary phaseThis phase aims to prepare the organization for all further assessment processes. It involves occupational health professionals, workers, managers, and employers. Three steps
  • (1)

    Set up a steering group to manage the assessment;

  • (2)

    Develop a communications/employee engagement strategy;

  • (3)

    Draft the risk assessment plan

 Obtain commitment from the employer, employees, and their representatives; Define the time schedule for assessment.
2. Preliminary assessmentThis phase aims to assess some organizational indicators associated with work-related stress (such as turnover, absenteeism, sick leaves, work schedule, organizational culture, etc.) Checklist
  • (1)

    Sentinel events

  • (2)

    Work content factors

  • (3)

    Work context factors

 ReportResults refer to the risk levels rated as low, medium, or high.Actions needed depend on the resulting level of risk and may vary from a monitoring plan for low risk to corrective measures and, if required, in-depth evaluation for medium and high risk.
3. In-depth assessmentThis phase aims to gather important information on the organization's “health” through assessment of employees' perceptions. It is required if corrective measures prove inadequate. However, organizations may also use it to collect further in-depth information. Indicator ToolA questionnaire with 35 items corresponding to the six MS:
  • (1)

    Demands

  • (2)

    Control

  • (3)

    Support

  • (4)

    Relations

  • (5)

    Role

  • (6)

    Change

 ReportResults are presented in a report where a number and color are assigned for each MS. The meaning of each color is as follows:Green and blue = doing very well, good performance; Yellow and red = urgent action required for improvement.
4. Management and monitoringThis phase aims to manage work-related stress by identifying corrective measures and interventions. Focus groupTo help organizations in this phase, a specific Focus Group Tutorial has been designed; this tutorial illustrates all the steps needed for organizing and running focus groups to help companies design appropriate interventions to manage work-related stress risks The direct involvement of workers so as to bring specific problems to light, help interpret the results of previous steps and identify the best solutions; Develop a monitoring plan.

MS, management standards.