Call centre recommendations

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued new guidelines for call centres after finding that conditions were stressful and that more training was needed.

In the HSE’s report, team leaders were criticised for contributing to telephonists’ stress levels, by constantly urging and even shouting at staff to make them answer calls. Workers were also stressed by abusive callers.

Half of those surveyed said that their performance was monitored electronically all the time.

The HSE recommends that call handlers should be allowed a break of at least five minutes each hour. The report also offers detailed advice on creating an optimal environment (temperature, humidity, lighting, layout of the office and so on) to work in, positioning of (computer) equipment, and how to reduce the causes of work-related stress.
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