jeudi 13 février 2014

Orkyn: an employee commits suicide, the fault stress?

 tHE 11

Orkyn: an employee commits suicide, the fault stress?

François Krug | Journalist Rue89

An employee of the medical services company Orkyn hanged himself in the premises of the agency Strasbourg. A sadly commonplace drama. But the unions had alerted management on the rise of stress in the subsidiary of Air Liquide . That suicide could it be avoided?
This father forty years working for two and a half years Orkyn, according to management. His position: logistics manager, responsible for organizing the delivery and installation of medical equipment in patients' homes.
Colleagues found his body at the opening of business on February 4. According to Steward, the gesture was thinking: "He had taken the lead on his work and organized deliveries the next two days. "He also left two letters to his relatives. Without evoking his professional life.
For management, it is a personal tragedy, "People of the team saw nothing coming, they do not understand. "For unions, it is also a professional drama. "We do not so trivial in the workplace," said one delegate.
Management refuses an expert on stress
For several months, unions alerted management about the deterioration of working conditions. On 10 December, at a tense meeting of the Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee (HSC) , the CGT called for an independent expert on the subject. Categorical refusal of management.
Other unions got a compromise: the creation of an observatory of stress. It had not yet been established when the Strasbourg employee committed suicide.Jean-Claude Delgenes, boss of the firm Technologia , this solution is not really a.
Independent expert, he worked at Renault after suicide between October 2006 and February 2007, three employees Guyancourt Technocentre:
"Renault had created a stress observatory in 1998. They did not see it coming. The observatory itself can become a filter: it is necessary to guarantee freedom of speech and privacy. "
The organization exploded Orkyn not make things easier. 1 200 employees are divided between the headquarters of Gentilly (Val-de-Marne) and a fifty branches throughout France. Teams of 10 to 25 people, depending on the direction. Often less, according to unions.
"Guys who no longer see the meaning of their work"
In this tense atmosphere, the Orkyn and Air Liquide contacted by Eco89 Stewards have all wished to speak anonymously. "Employees do not have a family life," accusing one of them, denouncing a true "flicage." Another agrees:
"They believe that there is a sort of" requisition "possible for employees who work in health care, but our conditions should be the same for all employees.We are not doctors, we are not the ambulance, it is not the fire, it is a private company that works towards health. "
Management ensure he had "no perception" of rising stress. But according to another delegate, the atmosphere has changed in a few years:
"One sees more and more stressed people, managers and employees. There are more and more guys who see more meaning in their work. And there are more friendly relations, more pots out or birthday. "
At least 500 work-related suicides each year
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health , suicide would be 11,000 deaths per year in France, or until 13,000 taking into account the "phenomena of under-reporting." How many of these deaths are they related to work?
The baseline study on suicide at work dates from 2003 and covers only the Basse-Normandie. "By extrapolation," says Jean-Claude Delgenes, the number of suicides "professionals" can be estimated at 500 to 600 per year. "A low range," he insists, pointing out that many suicides are "disguised as accidents" by the employee or employer, for example in the case of an accident or a fall.
Difficult to separate personal and professional factors in these deaths:
"It is never binary. But when you choose the workplace, it is very rare that there is no link with the work (...). Directions should not be in denial and refrain from launching a true reflection. "
But after a period or employers became aware of these situations, the economic crisis could strengthen this "denial" of the distress of some employees:
"It happened in the background. Until six months ago, we felt that the CEOs and HR feared this kind of glitches. Today, their concern is the crisis. I am sure it goes to a psycho-social risks. "


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