University of Warwick

Commitment to Wellbeing of Staff and Students

The University is committed to providing an environment in which to work and study which supports the wellbeing of all staff and students. This part of the statement outlines how that ambition is achieved with respect to its staff.

For staff, the University of Warwick is committed to providing a working environment which actively promotes the positive health and wellbeing of all its employees, partners and contractors. Our employees are the University’s most valued resource and as a result their health and wellbeing is crucial to the effective running of the institution. But this is more than compliance with legal requirements ensuring a safe and healthy working environment, we will promote good workplace health and wellbeing by a range of means.

Aims

Our commitment to maintaining a healthy, active, positive workforce includes:

  • The creation of a work environment that supports and promotes physical activity, that aids access to healthy choice foods, that helps employees to maintain their positive mental wellbeing while at work, that promotes sensible drinking of alcohol and supports people to quit/ reduce smoking.
  • The promotion of positive wellbeing through the provision of up to date and informative materials and resources to help employees make healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Promotion of all health and safety policies and practice including training of professionals in all relevant areas
  • Reducing the opportunities for accidents and incidents and ensuring that any such incidents are reviewed to prevent future recurrence
  • Linking, wherever relevant, to local and national campaigns and promotions, particularly those designed to tackle the specific issues in Higher Education
  • Access to specialist Occupational Health support
  • Providing easy access to disease prevention measures eg flu jabs
  • Encouraging employees to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing by helping to improve knowledge and behaviour
  • Providing training and guidance where appropriate to enable the support our employees need
  • Consulting with employees on finding out what support and information they wish to receive, including follow up at both institutional and departmental level to feedback from the Pulse staff engagement survey.

Through central and local communication we encourage employees to put forward recommendations for change, in addition to that gleaned through official surveys. Should any employee have any queries with regards to this commitment, and its aims and responsibilities, please speak with Human Resources in the first instance

Physical Activity;

Having an active lifestyle is key to maintaining health, weight and mental wellbeing. We aim to support employees in this, through;

  • Providing information and guidance on keeping active eg campus trails, campaigns run by our Sports Centre in collaboration with external bodies such as Public Health England.
  • Holding promotional events for use of campus facilities
  • Advertising local events and opportunities for staff to get involved with
  • Encouraging staff to make active choices (using the stairs rather than the lifts, for example)
  • Aiming to work withexternal partners, where relevant, to encourage employee participation

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is essential for good health and can impact positively on your mental wellbeing. We aim to encourage and support a healthy balanced diet wherever we can, through;

  • Encourage healthy eating in our workplace cafes and restaurants, recognising that these facilities need to meet a range of tastes and budgets
  • Provide information and guidance on healthy eating, including calorific content of foods wherever possible
  • Provide access to fruit to aid “5 A-Day” consumption, including within promoted “meal deals”
  • Provide fresh drinking water for all staff

Lifestyle benefits

Giving staff access to positive lifestyle choices which encourage wellbeing eg cycle to work scheme, on-campus cycle racks, discounted flu jabs and (planned for 2017/18) an employee assistance programme.

Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing in the workplace is important for all employees;addressing workplace mental wellbeing can embed the positive and protective factor of stimulating and worthwhile employment, reducing risk factors for mental ill health and improving general health. The University aims to promote the employment of people who have experienced mental health problems, and support them once they are at work.

Important aspects of mental health and wellbeing includes providing information and raising awareness, management skills to deal with issues around mental health and stress effectively, providing a supportive work environment, offering assistance, advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem or returning to work after a period of absence due to mental health problems.

We aim to support employees in this, by creating a workplace environment that promotes the mental wellbeing of all employees, through

  • Providing employees information on and increase their awareness of mental wellbeing (eg through Mental Health at work events)
  • Giving non-judgemental and proactive support to individual staff who experience mental health problems, including the provision of on-campus counselling for staff where necessary and appropriate.
  • Providing opportunities for employees to look after their mental wellbeing, for example through physical activity, social events and both short and long term arrangements for flexible working. The University offers a myriad of working arrangements, both formally and informally. This should extend to flexibility which allows staff to undertake physical activity eg at lunch time.
  • Setting employees realistic targets that do not require them to work unreasonable hours, and monitoring/managing long working hours where identified.
  • Ensuring that all staff have clearly defined job descriptions, objectives and responsibilities and provide them with good management support, appropriate training and adequate resources to do their job.
  • Managingworkplace conflict effectively and ensuring that the workplace is free from bullying and harassment, discrimination and racism. Running an annual event across campus emphasising respect and respectful behaviour to others.

.

Support for employees experiencing mental health difficulties

  • Managers are encouraged to persuade staff to consult their own GP where problems arise and to be aware of both internal and external sources of help and assistance. Additional information is provided on the Human Resources website as well as on the Student services site (some services are offered to both staff and students).
  • In cases of long-term sickness absence a graduated return to work is allowed, normally over a four week period, with access to advice and support from Occupational Health.
  • As with any other form of illness, mental health matters are accorded strict protocols of confidentiality.

Workplace Stress

The University is aware that identifying and managing excessive workplace stress is essential for staff wellbeing. Access is provided for counselling and advice is taken on board from GPs and others for its management in individual circumstances. The University uses its Pulse survey to identify particular sources of stress and its consequences and aims to provide managers with sufficient information and training to manage this for themselves and their teams.

Role of Employees

Employees are expected to work in a respectful and collaborative manner (governed by a policy entitled Dignity at Warwick). This is designed to encourage collective wellbeing yet giving individuals the right and the opportunity to identify actions which challenge this objective, as well as the opportunity to identify ideas for improvement. Employees are expected to contribute positively to collective wellbeing whilst working at the University of Warwick.