Health and Safety Toolkit

Stress and Wellbeing

Introduction

This toolkit is a basic guide to managing employee stress and well-being. It gives advice on the steps to consider in a range of circumstances. If it fails to provide the answers you need, you will find references to other sources of information and guidance.

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Contents

1. What is stress?

Fight or Flight

Coping skills

2. What are the warning signs of stress?

3.What are the long-term effects of stress?

Absence from work

Psychological issues

Physical illness

Damage to relationships

4.What does the law say about stress at work?

5.School aims in managing Stress and Well being?

Overall aims

Context

Implementation

Responsibilities

Compliance Standards

Support services

6.What should I do if I feel stressed?

Take time to relax

Prioritise

Be realistic

Balance your life

Keep as healthy as possible

7.What should I do if a colleague is stressed?

8.How can I find help with a problem?

9.How can we undertake Risk Assessments relating to Stress?

Organisational Stress Risk Assessment

Personal stress risk assessment

How do we develop a stress action plan?

10.Where can I find additional Help and Advice?

Books and Articles

Background information

Telephone Help lines and Websites

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1. What is stress?

Stress is described by the Health and Safety Executive as:

‘The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on them.’

We now experience a world of constant change, pressure to perform and conflicting demands, therefore stress is something we all experience from time to time and is a perfectly natural human response. Since stress is a human perception, it is very individual. What might be stressful for one person may not be for another. We are all different, have different life experiences, different genes and different states of health and levels of coping skills. Our body’s natural coping mechanisms are ill equipped to deal with the pressures of the modern world.

Fight or Flight

We are really designed to cope with more primitive threats, such as attack from a predator. This triggers the so-called ‘fight or flight’ response. When we perceive a threat, hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released to raise the heart rate, increase alertness and tense the muscles. However, this natural response is only supposed to last for 30 minutes.

Today’s challenges are much more prolonged than those that we used to encounter. If our state of readiness is extended above this time, then we may experience those ‘out of control’ feelings that we associate with stress. If this continues without relief, then there is a risk of damage to our physical health through an impaired immune system, muscular pain and raised blood pressure.

It is common to think of stress and pressure as being the same. They are not!

Pressure - We all need pressure in our lives to provide stimulus and motivation for our work etc. The pressure is within our coping skill level, we are challenged but can manage, each time we are challenged, it enables us to handle more the next time. Too little and we are bored and unfulfilled.

Stress - Stress is the result of an inappropriate level of pressure, often this is when work etc. is above what we can cope with, we can not gain support or guidance, and can not seek help or assistance to reduce the work etc load. Soon we feel flooded, do not know where to start or where to seek help.

The management challenge is to ensure that the level of pressure is at the right level to maintain interest and enjoyment in all aspects of our lives, and that staff have the necessary coping skills to deal with the challenges that modern life presents.

Coping skills

We all have different levels of coping skills available at any particular time. This depends on many factors including self-esteem and life style. If we are already under a great deal of pressure at home (family, marriage, relationships, money, ill health issues etc), then we will not have much else to give should the workplace also become too pressured.

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What are the main causes of stress at work?

We all have different work experiences, different stress sensitivities, and different perceptions of excessive pressure. There is no definitive list of the causes of stress at work. However, research has identified the following aspects of work as those most likely to result in reports of stress:

Lack of personal control / Excessive workload through staff reductions
Prolonged pressure to perform / Excessive working hours
Conflicting demands / Monotonous work
Continuous threat of aggression / Changes in the workplace
Harassment or bullying / Difficulty with balancing the demands of home and work.
Ill defined work roles / Lack of recognition
Poor working relationships / Job insecurity
Poor communication

It is worth noting that stress might also be the result of the sheer volume of pressures, rather than a single major event, none of which would be particularly troublesome alone, but taken as a whole, the employee can not cope with them all.

2. What are the warning signs of stress?

People’s reactions to stressful situations vary. Reactions may be behavioural or physical. These tables indicate some of the more common warning signs.

Behavioural / Physical
Critical and negative / Stomach disorders
Humourless / Chest pains
Indecisive / Asthma attacks
Irritable and aggressive / Headaches
Withdrawn and moody / Raised blood pressure
Sleep disorders / Skin rashes
Rapid mood changes / Muscle and back pain
Panic attacks / Lack of energy
Low self esteem and self confidence
Eating, drinking and smoking more

Of course, all of these conditions can have causes other than stress. If you have any of these symptoms and feel they may be an indication of illness, you should see your doctor. If you observe these signs in friends or colleagues at work, it may be helpful to draw their attention to the health and stress support services available within the council. You might also suggest that they speak to their manager about any work-related issues that are causing concern.

3.What are the long-term effects of stress?

Most of us recognise that we will encounter stressful experiences from time to time. When these are short-term encounters and we can return to circumstances in which we are back in control, they are unlikely to do us lasting harm. However when stress is prolonged, the early warning signs described earlier have the potential for more lasting damage. Particular concerns are as follows:

Absence from work

No one wants to be unwell and away from work, which also presents a problem and cost for the employer. This causes difficulties for colleagues who may have to make up the workload, and can create feelings of isolation in those who are absent. When absence is the result of stress, the loss of a working routine can add to the feeling of disorientation and may lead to long-term difficulties. Unlike most causes of illness-related absence, it can be difficult to anticipate when someone absent through stress will return to work.

Psychological issues

Stress is not in itself a psychological illness. However, prolonged stress may be a factor in the development of conditions such as anxiety, depression or panic attacks. These may be relatively mild and entirely reversible experiences but, if severe, they may be difficult to handle without specialist advice and support.

Physical illness

When stress is experienced over a long period of time, it can be a contributory factor in physical illness. This is the result of the ‘fight or flight’ hormones building up over a longer time than was intended. Individuals differ considerably in their physical responses to stress, but illness with a potential stress linkage includes digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, musculo-skeletal disorders such as lower back pain, skin complaints and coronary heart disease.

Damage to relationships

Stress affects our sense of humour and can make us irritable or withdrawn. We can also become obsessed with particular tasks, and neglect important relationships with friends, colleagues and family. In turn, this may reinforce our stress since we depend on such relationships to keep balance and pleasure in our lives.

4.What does the law say about stress at work?

Within statute law, there are two main considerations:

1 - The Health and Safety at Work Actsets out a basic framework requiring employers, so far as reasonably practicable, to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees.

2 - The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require employers to assess risks to employees’ health and safety and to take preventive action when needed.

Health and Safety Executive guidance sets out the approach an employer should take to ensure that stress is adequately incorporated within the implementation of general health and safety duties. These include encouraging good two-way communication, enabling employees to have adequate control over their work, managing the demands on employees, and providing appropriate information and support.

Within civil law, employers owe a duty of care to their employees. Employers may be in breach of this duty if it can be shown that:

  • The employee suffered a stress related injury
  • The injury resulted from circumstances in the workplace
  • The injury to the employee was foreseeable by the employer
  • The employer was negligent

Rulings from the Court of Appeal have clarified that, for a claim to succeed, the indications of impending harm must be plain enough for a reasonable employer to realise the need for action. In addition, an employer is unlikely to be in breach of duty if they provide appropriate support services such as employee counselling.

This review of legal requirements is a brief summary of a complex subject, and should not be used as the basis for making legal arguments of any particular circumstance. Further information is available from the Schools’ HR Team, health and safety advisors and union representatives.

5.School aims in managing Stress and Well being?

Overall aims

Schools will be committed to maintaining the health and well being of all employees. They should strive to promote a positive workplace culture that:

  • Minimises the harmful effects of stress,
  • Provides effective support for all staff,
  • Helps each individual to achieve an appropriate work-life balance,
  • Takes a positive and understanding approach to the management of stress in line with current good practice,
  • Respects confidentiality.

The above aims can only be achieved by co-operative effort at all levels within the organisation.

Context

Stress is an adverse reaction we have to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on us.

Causes of stress outside the workplace can also have a detrimental effect on the individual and the organisation. The way in which schools help employees achieve an appropriate work-life balance is particularly important.

Stress cannot be managed in isolation. Schools will recognise the importance of integrating approaches to stress management with associated policies and initiatives including:

  • Promoting flexible working and work life balance,
  • Absence management and the development of associated support services, particularly occupational health,
  • Diversity policy
  • Anti-harassment and bullying policy
  • Violence, aggression and the management of personal safety
  • Staff care initiatives
  • Appraisal and other staff development processes
  • The management of change.

Implementation

Measures that can be taken to manage stress include:

  • Information on this toolkit and the practical advice and support it provides for all employees
  • Training in recognising the causes, signs and symptoms of stress and the appropriate responses
  • Support for those experiencing stress
  • Risk assessments to identify potential causes of work related stress
  • A staff opinion survey which includes questions on stress
  • Ongoing review of resources and workload
  • Monitoring levels of absence and staff turn-over

Responsibilities

Managers should promote a positive workplace culture and are responsible for ensuring that:

  • Causes and effects of workplace stress are identified, assessed and promptly managed;
  • Work-life balance issues are recognised and addressed appropriately;
  • Their staff are effectively supported.

Employees should:

  • Effectively plan and organise their work to meet personal and organisational objectives;
  • Communicate any work concerns to their line manager to enable appropriate support to be planned;
  • Co-operate with the support, advice and guidance they may be offered.

Compliance Standards

The Health and Safety Executive’s Management Standards for stress outlined below represent a set of conditions that reflect high levels of health, well-being and organisational performance. These provide a reference point for all schools (and other organisations) when reviewing their practices around stress and well-being.

  1. Demands

Includes issues like workload, work patterns, and the work environment.

The standard is that:

  • Employees indicate that they are able to cope with the demands of their jobs; and;
  • Systems are in place locally to respond to any individual concerns.
  1. Control

How much say the person has in the way they do their work.

The standard is that:

  • Employees indicate that they are able to have a say about the way they do their work; and
  • Systems are in place locally to respond to any individual concerns.
  1. Support

Includes the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues.

The standard is that:

  • Employees indicate that they receive adequate information and support from their colleagues and superiors; and
  • Systems are in place locally to respond to any individual concerns.
  1. Relationship

Includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.

The standard is that:

  • Employees indicate that they are not subjected to unacceptable behaviours, e.g. bullying at work; and
  • Systems are in place locally to respond to any individual concerns.
  1. Role

Whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures that the person does not have conflicting roles

The standard is that:

  • Employees indicate that they understand their role and responsibilities; and
  • Systems are in place locally to respond to any individual concerns.
  1. Change

How organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated

The standard is that:

  • Employees indicate that the organisation engages them frequently when undergoing an organisational change; and
  • Systems are in place locally to respond to any individual concerns.

Further details of the management standards, including a description what should be in place to achieve each standard, can be found on the Health and Safety Executive’s website:

Support services

Support services within schools might include:

  • A self-referral counsellingservice, for example, through the Employee Assistance Programme or other well-being providers
  • Occupational Health services, accessed by manager referral
  • Advice and support for managers from the Schools’ HR Team

6.What should I do if I feel stressed?

There are many approaches to managing the stressful feelings that we all experience from time to time. However, if your stress is the result of some aspect of your work, you should discuss this with your manager to see if the cause of the problem can be addressed. (If the cause of your stress symptoms is from outside of the workplace, it may be possible to provide some support during difficult times, this may include more flexible working hours, or approved absence, or counselling services.)

You may also consider seeking support fromany of the support services listed above (as available) or from the organisations detailed at the end of this document.

Take time to relax

Taking time out to relax may seem almost impossible in a busy day, but it is essential for your well being. We all need time to recharge and to get events into perspective. Do something you enjoy, take a walk, get some fresh air, read something light. Alternatively, just switch off for a few minutes and breathe slowly and deeply, take a drink of water, stretch your arms and legs and refocus away from the task, computer, etc. Focus on the breathing and, for the time being, forget about what has to be done. Take your lunch break, even if just for half an hour and review your work life balance and working hours. Consider using some of the many complementary therapies available, i.e. massage, aromatherapy, reiki, shiatsu, yoga, etc. Further advice can be obtained from your GP or via the Federation of Holistic Therapists (

Prioritise

Sometimes we can be busy but not very productive. Prioritise your work and agree with your line manager to ensure the important things that deliver results, and less important activities do not get in the way. Ensure you receive regular supervision and appraisals so that pressures and workloads can be discussed and adjusted when necessary.

Be realistic

When stressed, we can get everything out of perspective. Ensure concerns are discussed with your line manager and see what can be re-prioritised. Of course some areas of work must be done, but it may be that someone else can share them. If you do not feel you can talk with your line manager, or they are away, refer to another member of the school’s management team.