Stress - prevention and management
Everyone can face pressure at work, regardless of age, experience or job title. While pressure can motivate and make us more productive, too much pressure at work can lead to work-related stress, impacting our physical and mental health.
Work-related stress can be prevented by good management practices (visit HSEs stress pages for more information), such as matching the right person to the right job, ensuring a supportive work environment and effective change management.
The links on the right provide templates and guidance, from the People Directorate, to use in the following situations:
Individual stress risk assessment tool and guidance for managers – this approach can be used to support an individual who is experiencing work-related stress. It is an assessment of the factors in the work environment that have the potential to or already are causing stress to an individual. It is focused around a conversation between the individual and their manager (or nominated individual).
Team wellbeing and stress risk assessment tool and guidance for managers - this approach can be used for both a small team and larger teams, such as a Division, School, Directorate or Faculty Office. The team stress risk assessment can be used both proactively and reactively, as detailed below:
- Proactively – as part of looking ahead and identifying factors that might impact on levels of pressure and wellbeing, including any planned change. Also to help the team reflect on what is working well and to ensure these mechanisms are continued.
- Reactively – in response to a set of circumstances that has the potential to, or already is impacting on team wellbeing. E.g. resourcing levels, high levels of absence, relationships difficulties within the team, colleagues raising concerns of feeling stressed due to work related activities.
For further information on wellbeing services and support for work-related stress visit Staff wellbeing | StaffNet | The University of Manchester