call centres under pressure
by Wendy Moore
We all know what it feels like. You ring the bank or building society and an automated voice tells you to press a dozen buttons on your telephone keypad, then you listen to 'Greensleeves' for 10 minutes and finally hear the dreaded recorded message: 'You are held in a queue, your call will be answered shortly...' By the time a human being answers, your stress levels are sky high.
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Now spare a thought for the person on the other end of the telephone. You could be the 500th disgruntled customer they have had to deal with today, while staring nonstop at a computer screen on long shifts without proper breaks and under constant surveillance.
Call centres – where often huge teams of people handle a never-ending flow of customers' calls – have been described as '21st century sweat shops' and modern-day 'dark satanic mills', while their workers have been called 'battery hens' and 'galley slaves'. Horror stories, which have recently come to light, include tales of managers who threaten staff with wearing disposable nappies if they visit the toilet too often, and the worker who was disciplined for taking two six-second breaks between calls. It is no wonder some call centre staff report high levels of stress and anxiety.
Yet at the same time, some centres are being held up as model employers and trade unions are driving hard for improvements. So what are the stress facts about call centres?
call centre strains
Call centres have existed for decades but have only really mushroomed in the last five years or so. The boom has been fuelled by advances in technology and the shift towards a 24-hour society allowing us to telephone the bank or email the insurance company at any hour of night or day. Experts estimate between 250,000 and 400,000 people now work in call centres. That amounts to nearly 1 in 50 of us – and the number is growing.
Many call centres are sited in giant hangar-like buildings, housing thousands of staff. The majority are women although many young people, especially graduates, also work in call centres.
league table of complaints
Oppressive conditions have been highlighted in several studies. In 2001, the Trades Union Congress ran a major campaign urging call centre staff to ring a hotline with their complaints. More than 700 people called, and a further 38 emailed, with tales of abuse and hardship.
The results are outlined in a TUC report, 'Calls for Change', published in April 2001. It highlighted the following complaints:
- extreme monitoring of work
- staff being timed over how often they go to the toilet and how long they spend there
- staff having to ask permission to go to the toilet and being hauled in front of bosses to explain why they go so often
- inadequate or no breaks
- stress and other health problems.
every move you make
One in four people (25%) who called the TUC hotline complained about excessive monitoring. Telephone conversations were recorded and timed, and supervisors complained if staff deviated from a set script or took too long on a call. Some staff reported being set time limits of as little as two minutes 28 seconds for each call. Several call centres had 'shame boards' where names of staff who failed to meet targets were pinned.
Many staff said trips to the toilet were monitored and timed. Callers from two separate companies said managers brought in disposable nappies and threatened staff with being forced to wear one if they spent too long in the toilet. Some staff had to ask permission to get a drink of water and others had to pay for disposable cups.
Lack of breaks was the complaint made by 15.5% of callers. For many staff this means no control over the flow of calls. As soon as one conversation is finished, the computer routes through the next. Staff say there is no time to take stock, even after an abusive call. Some workers complained they had only 75 minutes break during a 12-hour shift, while others said they worked without any breaks, in contravention of the European Working Time Directive, which entitles workers to a 20 minute break after six hours.
stress factors
Stress is a common concern among call centre staff. More than one in 15 (8.5%) of people who called the TUC hotline reported high stress levels caused by tough targets and constant monitoring. Several called the hotline to say they were on long-term sick leave due to stress. One woman, working in a call centre in South Wales, said she had been off sick for two months with stress and depression. Yet she had to telephone everyday to say she was still unwell.
Other health problems, also highlighted in other surveys, included loss of voice, loss of hearing and 'acoustic shock', when a sudden burst of noise causes hearing difficulties.
Another survey, carried out by union UNISON on call centres in Scotland in 2002, found even higher levels of stress. This study, of 500 UNISON members in call centres, found three-quarters (75%) felt 'stressed'. The survey also reported 82% suffered headaches, 78% respiratory problems, 61% pains in hands, arms or back and 32% other work-associated health problems.
being there
Andy Prendergast, 24, worked in a major bank's call centre in Leicester for two years until September 2000. He knows well the stress problems. 'As a call centre person you have very little control over what comes through. Literally one call finishes and another one starts,' recalls Andy, who is now seconded full-time as a representative for the banking and finance union UNIFI.
'If ever you got an abusive customer, of which there were many, and they screamed at you repeatedly then slammed the telephone down, someone else was on the line straight away.' Anyone who responded rudely to abusive calls faced being disciplined, he says. 'It is very stressful. You are speaking to people who aren't there for seven hours a day.'
Every move was timed, including going to the toilet, Andy remembers. 'I have returned from the toilet to be questioned on my bowel movements,' he says. Stopping to get a drink was frowned upon by supervisors while being off sick was discouraged. There was also little opportunity to talk to fellow workers. 'I remember once I was trying to tell someone a joke and it took me the whole morning,' he adds.
Andy is now working through UNIFI to try to improve call centre conditions.
migraines and monotony
A study of call centre conditions, by the Health and Safety Executive in 1999, identified insufficient breaks and repetitive work as significant problems. The research, published as guidance called Initial Advice regarding Call Centre Working Practices, found staff complained the job was monotonous rather than stressful. But the researchers identified several stress symptoms including headaches, migraines, high sickness rates and high turnover.
A further study by the HSE, published in 2001, found half of call centre staff had their performance continually monitored by electronic systems – a practice many workers say they find stressful. About four out of five staff had the duration of their calls and the time lags between them monitored. Over half the staff interviewed had to 'hot desk'. Following this research, the HSE has issued advice on improving working conditions and reducing stress in call centres.
Sol Mead, senior national officer with public service union UNISON, which represents many call centre staff, says some companies provide good conditions and try to alleviate stress. But too many still have oppressive regimes.
'Quite often you see companies who want people to answer calls quicker and quicker and quicker,' he says. 'Computers monitor how many calls individuals take in an hour, how long they take and how long people are waiting. These measurements can be used against people if they are not taking enough calls. That is where the stress and the pressure comes.'
'In a sense it is almost a galley slave situation, where you are constantly under pressure to answer calls,' he adds.
the high cost of strain
Philip Pearson, who has written several studies of call centres for the research organisation Industrial Relations Services (IRS), agrees: 'They are pressured environments,' he says. 'There is no ducking the issue. Call centres may not like some of the stuff the TUC is doing but they are not denying it.'
He believes conditions are to blame for the high staff turnover rates in call centres. Average annual turnover is 18% a year. However, one in 10 call centres have rates over 40%, he says, while in some places turnover runs as high as 180% – meaning almost a complete change of staff twice in 12 months.
Pearson, author of a book for the TUC on healthier working conditions, Keeping Well at Work: A TUC guide, published in 2001, believes eventually the cost of frequent staff replacement may force employers to make improvements. Working in teams, with staff having greater control over their work patterns, is the main change which would alleviate stress, he argues.
stress facts
But is stress any higher than in other similar occupations? Dr David Holman, research fellow at Sheffield University's Institute of Work Psychology, has studied stress in three major call centres. To his surprise, he discovered stress levels were no worse than for office or shop workers. But he adds: 'That is not to deny some people in call centres don't experience high levels of stress.'
Call centres are not intrinsically stressful, he argues, but bad management practices can result in stress. His report, Can I Help You? Call centres and job satisfaction, published in 2000, found that the staff working in the call centre with least control over their jobs reported the highest stress and lowest job satisfaction.
'If people have to follow scripts, if they have low control, they will experience high levels of anxiety and stress, high levels of depression and low job satisfaction,' says Holman. 'The central argument is that in well-run and well-designed call centres, levels of stress tend to compare favourably with other organisations.'
the bosses' view
The employers' group, the Call Centres Association (CCA), takes the same view. 'We think there are call centres which are poorly run but we believe the vast majority of call centres are pretty well-run,' says Colin Mackay, head of quality and standards. There may be bad practices in certain companies, but that is no different to any other sector, he argues.
He accepts, however, that turnover is a concern and notes that every employee who leaves is a cost to that company. But he adds: 'I think if staff are given proper training and have an expectation of subsequent development that makes a major difference.'
good practice
The CCA has developed a code of best practice it recommends all call centres follow, aimed at improving services for staff and customers. Its recommendations include:
- Training and development to support all staff in their roles
- Good communication channels for staff to air their views
- A formal process to resolve staff/management disputes
Trade unions accept that some call centres have made big efforts to provide decent working conditions and a healthier environment. Unison has commended NHS Direct, the 24-hour telephone helpline, for its staff conditions, which include thorough training, variation of tasks, no time limits on calls and encouragement for staff to talk to each other after difficult or worrying conversations. Other companies are also making strong efforts.
venture a different way
Ventura, the customer service management provider, employs 3,500 staff in its call centres. One of its biggest, in Dearne Valley, South Yorkshire, has been named the Call Centre Association's European Call Centre of the Year. Human resources director Kate Marsden says staff sometimes work under pressure, but are encouraged to take breaks and vary their tasks. Break-out areas are provided, including a cafe, restaurant and pool room. There are also opportunities for staff to voice concerns at monthly meetings with the directors.
cook up a recipe for calm
Holiday company Thomas Cook won the British Institute of Facilities Management innovation and design award in 1998 for its newest call centre, in Larbert, Scotland. The centre, one of four dealing with telephone bookings, has a 480-strong workforce. Staff arrive at work by walking through a 'sensorama' corridor, which features bright colours, the sound of waves on a beach and the smell of coconuts. There is a real waterfall and stream, which also runs beside the staff restaurant.
The atmosphere is relaxed and dress informal, says head of operations Phil Ginn. Calls are monitored, he says, but staff normally only take three to five calls per hour and are encouraged to talk to each other. There are also frequent opportunities for staff to air their views.
stress-busting tips for call centre staff
Although working in a call centre can be highly pressured, trade unions have suggested some ways call centre staff can combat stress. Here are some of their ideas:
- Take breaks as frequently as you can to reduce eye strain, voice loss and general stress. The European Working Time Directive entitles workers to a minimum of a 20 minute break after six hours – but this really is a minimum. The HSE's Display Screen Equipment regulations recommend regular breaks from the workstation and telephone, but do not define how long these should be.
- Frequent, short breaks are thought to be better than fewer, longer breaks.
- Stretching exercises help reduce muscle tension and other problems.
- When you can get a proper break, get right away from your work station – don't take lunch at your desk – and do something different. Take a walk outside, do some exercises, chat to colleagues.
- If you have to move frequently to different work stations – called 'hot desking' – check your chair and VDU is adjusted to suit you each time.
- Take frequent drinks of water to avoid voice problems and dehydration. Tea or coffee can exacerbate stress levels. A healthy diet – snacks of fruit or raw vegetables rather than crisps and fizzy drinks – helps combat tiredness.
- You should have your own headset, to avoid catching infections, with volume control, to reduce hearing difficulties.
- If you have an abusive or distressing call, take a breather and – if you can – get support from someone else. Your supervisors should take action against the caller if this is a regular customer.
- Having a variety of tasks – moving from one kind of call to a different sort or to paperwork – helps reduce monotony.
- If conditions are oppressive, you can lobby for change by joining a trade union.
help and info
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.
The Health and Safety Executive issued new advice on improving working conditions in call centres, with guidance on handling stress, in December 2001. Copies of the HSE advice, Call Centre Local Authority Circular 94/1 (Rev), are available from the Health and Safety Executive Local Authority Unit, Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London, SE1 9HS.
The main unions representing call centre staff are given below. The TUC runs a 'know your rights' line on 0870 600 4882 (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm). You can find out more about your legal rights at work in our stress and the law feature.
Check out more stressbusting tips in our don't panic guide and our coping with stress section.
organisations and helplines
The Andrea Adams Trust
1 Hova Villas
Hove BN3 3DH
Helpline: 01273 704 900 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm)
Website: www.andreaadamstrust.org
Works to reduce the incidences of bullying in the workplace. Provides advice and support through a national helpline.
Call Centre Association (CCA)
20 Newton Place
Glasgow G3 7PY
Tel: 0141 564 9010 (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm)
Website: www.cca.org.uk
The professional body for the contact centre industry in the UK, offering information and advice.
Call Centre Management Association
Tel: 01293 538400
E-mail: admin@ccma.org.uk
Website: www.ccma.org.uk
Promotes call centre management, contributes to the professional development of call centre managers and supervisors, and helps find quality training courses.
Communication Workers Union
150 The Broadway
Wimbledon SW19 1RX
Tel: 0208 9717 200 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
Website: www.cwu.org
The biggest union for the communications industry in the UK.
Health and Safety Executive
Infoline: 0845 345 0055 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)
Website: www.hse.gov.uk
Responsible for developing new health and safety laws and standards, inspecting workplaces, investigating accidents, enforcing good standards, providing information and guidance and carrying out research.
Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3LS
Tel: 020 7636 4030 (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm)
Website: www.tuc.org.uk
Campaigns on decent employment rights and lobbies the Government to implement policies that will benefit people at work.
UNIFI
Congress House
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3LQ
Tel: 020 7299 1480
Website: www.unifi.org.uk
Represents staff in banks, building societies, insurance companies and finance houses, on issues such as pay, job losses, stress and health and safety.
UNISON
1 Mabledon Place
London WC1H 9AJ
Tel: 0845 355 0845 (Mon-Fri 6am to midnight, Sat 6am-4pm))
Website: www.unison.org.uk
Britain's biggest trade union representing workers in public services and the voluntary sector, including call centre staff.
UK National Work-Stress Network
9 Bell Lane
Syresham NN13 5HP
Tel: 07966-196033
Website: www.workstress.net
Aims to raise the profile of work-related stress and its causes.
websites
Bully Online
www.bullyonline.org/stress/health.htm
Features information on bullying, stress and effects on health.
Call Centre Focus
www.callcentre.co.uk
Contact magazine containing a range of articles, industry discussion, latest jobs, and details of forthcoming events relating to the call centre industry.
TUC in Action – Its Your Call
www.tuc.org.uk/theme/index.cfm?theme=yourcall
Contains documents from the 'It's Your Call' campaign on call centre conditions, which ran in February 2001, including 'Employment rights for call workers' – a guide to your rights as a call centre worker and how unions can help you to make the most of them.
reading
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Bullying at Work by Andrea Adams (Virago Press, 1992) |
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The Bully at Work by Gary and Ruth Namie (Sourcebooks Inc, 2000) |
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Keeping Well at Work: A TUC guide by Philip Pearson (Kogan Page, 2001) |
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Managing Stress In the Workplace by Carole Spiers (Tolley Publishing, 2003) |
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reports
Call Centres (UNIFI, 2000)
Available free from UNIFI, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LQ.
Call Centres 2003: Reward and Flexible Working Strategies by Philip Pearson, editor (IRS & CCA RI, 2003)
An indispensable tool for helping you benchmark your current pay and retention strategies and keep you up-to-date with current trends and developments within the industry.
Available from IRS (Industrial Relations Services), 2 Addiscombe Road, Croydon CR9 5AF.
Can I Help You? Call centres and job satisfaction by D Holman and S Fernie (2000), published in Centrepiece, 5(1): 2-5
Available as a PDF from The London School of Economics at http://cep.lse.ac.uk
Holding the Line: UNISON's guide to making call centres a better place to work (UNISON, 2000)
Available at a cost of £5 to members and £15 to non-members. For a copy, fax your order to 020 7551 1461 or order from UNISON online quoting stock number 1901.
It's Your Call (Stock Code GE149) and Calls for Change (Stock Code GE153) (TUC, 2001) £25 each
The first and second TUC reports into call centre conditions can be ordered from the TUC website www.tuc.org.uk or by telephoning publications on 020 7467 1294.
(updated November 2002, resources updated April 2005)
