The Health and Safety Executive has issued new guidelines to call
centre employers and local authority call centre inspectors as part
of a drive to curb exploitation and work-related stress
The new recommendations follow an in-depth report on verbal abuse,
stress and good practice on lengths and frequencies of
breaks.
Bill Callaghan, chair of the Health and Safety Commission, said the
new guidelines would "help call centre employers control the
occupational health hazards in this sector and promote a better
quality working environment".
The new advice, with guidelines for good practice, calls for
training to be provided to handlers so they are fully competent to
take calls from the public. It also recommends that call handlers
who have just taken an abusive call should be allowed time to
recover and discuss it with a colleague.
Commenting on the HSE findings Sheila Macdonald, executive director
of customer services at The Co-operative Bank, said: "The HSE has
highlighted the fact that some employers believe that treating
staff harshly is a good way to run a business."
Anne-Marie Stagg, chair of the Call Centre Management Association,
welcomed the HSE findings. But the guidelines, she said, should be
considered the minimum requirements of managing a call centre.
"Best practices in call centres are far above [the HSE
guidelines]," she explained.
Call centres are often dubbed modern day sweatshops. In January
2001, the Trades Union Congress ran a campaign aimed at
highlighting the plight of Britain's 400,000 call centre workers.
A TUC representative told CW360.com of some of the behaviour that
prompted the HSE's guidelines. "There was one example of a call
centre boss who threw a packet of disposable nappies onto the call
centre desk and told the staff to use them instead of going to the
toilet."
Speaking last month to CW360.com Jonty Pearce, director of
innovation at Avaya UK, warned that there could soon be European
Union legislation to tighten working practices within call centres,
possibly based on conditions found in Germany.