Some Good Practice from The HSE

Good Practice (Display Screen Equipment)

• Each time a user logs on, display a short checklist on screen to prompt them to make appropriate adjustments to any of their workstation equipment as required. Allow them sufficient time to make these adjustments before they start work.
• Hold a sufficient stock of replacement items such as chairs, document holders, foot rests and wrist rests.
• Hold a range of different keyboards, chairs and mice etc so call handlers can immediately try different models if their DSE assessment identifies that the standard issue is unsuitable.
• Provide individuals with sufficient lockable secure personal storage facilities.

Good Practice (Working Environment)

• Have a clear and easy procedure for reporting unacceptable environmental conditions. Respond to complaints promptly and take them seriously. Give the complainant feedback on the results of any investigations and the reason behind any subsequent actions or decisions.
• Make disinfectant wipes available so call handlers can clean their keyboards or other workstation equipment as required.

Good practice (Relative Humidity)

• Tea and coffee are diuretics so can exacerbate dehydration. Encourage call handlers to drink plenty of water or caffeine-free soft drinks instead.
• Position a sufficient number of cold water fountains throughout the call centre so water is available near workstations.

Good practice: (Lighting)

• Consult call handlers about the type of lighting and the level of lighting they would prefer (obviously, the final choice has to meet legal requirements)
• Provide a rest room with adjustable lighting so call handlers can dim the lights if they so wish.

Good practice: (Breaks)

• Consult call handlers about when they would like to take their breaks.

Good practice: (Monitoring)

• Give call handlers a mechanism for commenting on EPM and respond to those comments.
• Consult call handlers about how often they would like feedback.
• Introduce a clear set of criteria against which qualitative monitoring is marked and train team leaders so they are consistent.
• Give team leaders adequate time to give feedback.

Good practice: (Shifts)

• Provide advice on how to integrate working shifts with home life which covers, in particular, eating properly and how to promote good sleep during the day.
• Ensure car parks are well lit and consider employing a security person to patrol car parks or installing closed circuit television to increase security.
• Phone for taxis to collect at the call centre rather than staff catching them on the street.
• Make bus timetables available so employees can wait in the call centre rather than on the street if they miss the bus they had intended to catch.
• Encourage car sharing so public transport does not need to be used late at night.

Good practice: (Verbal Abuse)

• Allow call handlers who have just taken an abusive call time to recover and discuss it with a colleague or their supervisor if they so choose.
• Customers who have been abusive could have this noted on their files by a warning flashing on screen when a call handler accesses their details. However, all personal information in customers' files is covered by the Data Protection Act 1998, and arrangements for using warning markers will need to be carefully defined in company policy.
• Provide awareness training and information on personal safety. 

The training and information may include the following advice.

• Try not to panic or put the receiver down immediately.
• Try not to lose your temper or be tempted to react with a similar response.
• Try not to take the remarks personally and become upset.
• Be patient as the abuse may stop shortly.
• If the caller does not calm down, clearly advise them that unless they are able to continue the discussion in a civil manner, the call will be terminated.
• If the caller is not satisfied with the answers to their questions, offer to pass them to a colleague or a supervisor, or to take their number and return the call when further investigations have been made.
• If, despite a warning, behaviour does not improve, then you may terminate the call.
• Take a short break or speak to a colleague or supervisor about the call if this would help you to recover.
• All calls of this nature should be logged with your supervisor.
• Listening to the recording of the abusive call with a more experienced colleague or supervisor may help you identify alternative ways of dealing with similar calls in the future.

Good practice: (Hearing)

• Prompt call handlers to adjust the listening level (both up and down) through their headsets at the beginning of each call.
• Ensure a sufficient stock of new or sterile headset pads and voice tubes is maintained.

Good practice: (Voice)

• To reduce the risk of straining the throat, opening greeting scripts should be broken into shorter segments, giving call handlers frequent micro-breaks while callers respond to their questions.
• Allow call handlers to drink at their workstations to ensure their throats are adequately lubricated.
• Call handlers should be encouraged to drink water or caffeine-free soft drinks to maintain hydration rather than tea or coffee or soft drinks containing caffeine which are diuretics.
• Stretching the neck and shoulders relieves tension. These exercises can be done at the workstation as well as during breaks. A prompt which appears on the screen from time to time may be a helpful reminder for call handlers to do these stretches.
• The risk of voice problems is greater when suffering from a cold. Assigning staff in these circumstances to tasks which do not involve speaking on the telephone reduces this risk.

Good practice: (Eyes)

• Display reminders on-screen from time to time to prompt call handlers to look away and focus on a distant object. Also prompt them to exercise their eye movement muscles and blink.
• Prompt call handlers to request regular eye tests and remind them that the company will pay for basic corrective appliances if they are required for VDU work.

Good practice: (Musculoskeletal Disorders)

• Train call handlers to stretch and change posture while on the telephone at their workstation to release muscular tension and help prevent MSDs. Encourage them to do this with an on-screen prompt.
• Introduce health promotion and education and health MOTs.

Good practice: (Stress)

• When setting targets for call handlers who are required to hot-desk, take into consideration that they must find an available workstation and make the necessary adjustments before taking calls.
• Allow sufficient time either during a call or between calls for call handlers to finish the business of a call before taking another.
• Make it clear to call handlers how work is allocated.
• Provide a separate room, pleasantly decorated and furnished with comfortable chairs, where call handlers can relax and chat during breaks.
• Remember to provide call handlers with details of new campaigns and promotions, so they can answer callers' questions competently.
• Rather than making call handlers follow a script, give them more control by offering them prompts for the information that must be covered in a call but allow them to decide what to actually say. Remember though, some, particularly inexperienced call handlers, may prefer a script.
• Offer lunchtime or after work hobby and interest classes.
• Encourage call handlers to exercise. Although on-site gyms and swimming pools are real bonuses for many call handlers, memberships of or discounted rates with local sports centres are also attractive benefits.
• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) can help call centre employees avoid or reduce work-related stress by providing advice on domestic issues such as finances as well as work-related matters.
• Have a clear and easy procedure for call handlers to report issues that are causing them stress. Ideally, these reports would be to occupational health or health and safety staff so that issues about line management are not inhibited. Respond to the reports promptly and show that they are being taken seriously. Provide feedback on the results of any investigations and the reason behind any subsequent actions or decisions. Allow the reports to be made anonymously and treat them in confidence.
• Emphasise that stress is taken seriously by producing a separate 'Company Policy on Stress' in addition to the legal requirement to cover stress as a mental health issue in the company's risk assessment.  (HSE)