Dr Niki Ellis is a world expert on well being at work and a leading trouble-shooter in workplaces with big problems. In each programme she enters a different workplace with a specific stress problem and uses her experience in medicine and organisational health to discover what has gone wrong and why. An action plan is agreed and we follow the progress as organisations attempt to implement it. Whatever happens we learn a lot on the way about stress, workplace psychology and well being.
Express-Link Couriers, is a rapidly expanding transport company. The company survives in the highly competitive, deadline driven industry. Living up to their mission to deliver “anything, anywhere, 24 hours a day” brings its own pressures. While most of the staff are dedicated and loyal, dealing with unpredictable workflows, training of new employees and satisfying customer demands all contribute to raising stress levels. Some staff, including the boss, Mark Thalmann, are suffering medically from these increased levels of stress. He‘s an employer who cares about his staff and is anxious to improve their conditions. Can Stressbuster Niki Ellis turn them into Express without stress?
Director Of Photography: Philip Bull | Editor: Beckett Broda
The Police operations call centre receives 000 and general enquiry calls from the public and dispatches jobs to the police on the street. Twenty four hours a day the call centre operators are controlling what’s happening on the beat from talking down potential suicides to literally guiding cop cars through the streets in high speed pursuits.
Superintendant Alf Fordham has been given the job of increasing the efficiency of an already stretched work force. Alf has been in the job for only a few months and already there has been an improvement. But at what cost to staff who are more stressed than ever?
Director: Max Walker | Director Of Photography: Philip Bull | Editor: David Fosdick
Swan Care is a largely government funded aged care facility. With an aging society it is facing an increasing work load. The nature of the work is also becoming more challenging. Government policy encourages old people to stay in their own homes longer. This means when they move to Swan Care they are older and in worse health.
Ironically, Swan also has an aging staff. Battling to recruit the right people with the right motivations recruitment is a challenge. Absenteeism is on the increase. THE older carers see their job as a calling, while younger casual staff don’t all appear to have the same commitment.
The older carers are suffering physical and mental fatigue. Stressed out staff means stressed out residents. How might Stressbuster Niki Ellis help? Can she improve the quality of the carer’s working conditions to improve their health and well being?
Director Of Photography: Ulrich-Stephan Krafzik | Editor: Beckett Broda
The Queensland RSPCA is an independent charity, providing animal care and protection services. With almost no government support but increasing numbers of strays and abandoned animals the service is being stretched to breaking point, particularly because the organisation refuses to turn away any animal in need. However, many of the animals left with the RSPCA are unsuitable for adoption and must be put down.
In the end the staff suffer.The emotional drain has become a serious problem called compassion fatigue. It’s eroding the RSPCA’s ability to provide the high level of care to animals that is its raison d’etre.
How might Stressbuster Niki Ellis help? Can StressBuster Niki Ellis teach the RSPCA to focus more on the health and well being of their people and not just the animals.
Director Of Photography: Philip Bull | Editor: Beckett Broda
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"… essentially a story of courage"
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‘Delightful’
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(pick of the week)
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