Stress Awareness Training for Managers

1. WWM CRC Stress Awareness Training for Managers Next Slide

2. Definition of Stress "The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work." Next Slide

3. Legal requirement This is a brief summary of some of the law in this area. All employers have legal responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to ensure the health safety and welfare at work of their employees. This includes minimising the risk of stress-related illness or injury to employees. Line managers • From a line manager's perspective, legal responsibility rests primarily with the ‘employer’ who is responsible not only for action or lack of action at board level but also for all those employed by him/her. Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress, and in doing so reduce the likelihood of employees suffering from work related stress. • Examples of issues line managers may wish to consider include: • Whether stress may be a factor in relation to frequent or long-term absenteeism for individual employees • How they will monitor and address potential sources of stress • Identify what medical and other evidence is required to determine whether the employee may have a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010. If so, consider whether the employee is being treated less favourably for a reason related to the disability and whether there are reasonable adjustments that could be made • Report their concerns to appropriate senior personnel while maintaining any obligations of confidentiality. Next Slide

4. Legal requirement cont.. Employees • Employees also have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and of others who may be affected by their actions. • Employees should: • Inform their employer if they feel the pressure of the job is putting them or anyone else at risk of ill health • Suggest ways in which the work might be organised to alleviate the stress • Inform their employer if they are suffering from a medical condition that appears to be long-term and is affecting their ability to carry out day to day tasks, including memory and learning • Discuss any reasonable adjustments that could be made to assist them in performing their job. Next Slide

5. Causes of Stress HSE has identified six factors that can lead to work related stress if they are not managed properly. DemandsEmployees indicate that they are able to cope with the demands of their jobs.Control Employees indicate that they are able to have a say about the way they do their work.Support Employees indicate that they receive adequate information and support from their colleagues and superiors.Relationships Employees indicate that they are not subjected to unacceptable behaviours, e.g. bullying at work.Role Employees indicate that they understand their role and responsibilities.Change Employees indicate that the organisation engages them frequently when undergoing an organisational change. Next Slide

6. Causes of Stress cont… It is important to understand each of the six factors and how they are related to each other, as this can influence the amount of stress an individual experiences: A person can reduce the impact of high demands if they have high control over their work. The impact of high demands and low control can be reduced by having high levels of support, either from colleagues or from you as a manager. Relationships can be one of the biggest sources of stress, especially where there are problems like bullying and harassment Problems with role are probably the easier problems to solve. Change does not have to be at an organisational level to have an impact on individuals or teams, for example, changes in team members, line managers or the type of work or technology used by the team can be just as stressful. Next Slide

7. Signs & Symptoms Key Message Stress can cause changes in those experiencing it. In some cases there are clear signs that people are experiencing stress at work and if these can be identified early, action can be taken before the pressure becomes a problem. This may make it easier to reduce and eliminate the causes.It is important that everyone looks out for changes in a person's or a group's behaviour. However, in many cases the changes may only be noticeable to the person subject to the stress and so it is also important to look at how you are feeling and try to identify any potential issues you may have as early as possible and take positive action to address them; this may be raising the matter with a line manager, talking to an occupational health professional or your own GP.Stress can show itself in many different ways - see next slides. Some of the items in this list may not be signs of stress if people always behave this way. Managers may need to manage staff exhibiting some of these signs differently. You are particularly looking for changes in the way people behave that could be linked with excessive pressures. Next Slide

8. Signs & Symptoms Next Slide

9. Signs of stress in individuals • Emotional symptoms • Negative or depressive feeling • Disappointment with yourself • Increased emotional reactions - more tearful or sensitive or aggressive • Loneliness, withdrawn • Loss of motivation commitment and confidence • Mood swings (not behavioural) • Mental • Confusion, indecision • Cant concentrate • Poor memory • Changes from your normal behaviour • Changes in eating habits • Increased smoking, drinking or drug taking 'to cope' • Mood swings effecting your behaviour • Changes in sleep patterns • Twitchy, nervous behaviour • Changes in attendance such as arriving later or taking more time off. Please note these are indicators of behaviour of those experiencing stress. They may also be indicative of other conditions. If you are concerned about yourself please seek advice from your GP. If you are concerned about a colleague try to convince them to see their GP. Next Slide

10. Signs of stress in a group • Disputes and disaffection within the group • Increase in staff turnover • Increase in complaints and grievances • Increased sickness absence • Increased reports of stress • Difficulty in attracting new staff • Poor performance • Customer dissatisfaction or complaints It is not up to you or your managers to diagnose stress. If you or they are very worried about a person, recommend they see their GP. It is up to you and your managers to recognise that behaviours have changed, be aware that something is wrong and take prompt action. Take care not to over react to small changes in behaviour. You and your managers need to act when these behavioural changes continue. Use these symptoms (both individual and group) as clues. Next Slide

11. What about stress at home A person can experience excessive pressure and demands outside work just as much as they can at work. Stress tends to build up over time because of a combination of factors that may not all be work related. Conflicting demands of work and home can cause excessive stress. Problems outside work can affect a person's ability to perform effectively at work. Stressors at home can affect those at work and vice versa. For example, working long hours, or away from home, taking work home and having higher responsibility can all have a negative effect on a person’s home life – something which is supposed to be a 'buffer' against the stressful events of work. In the same way, domestic problems such as childcare, financial or relationship problems can negatively affect a person’s work. The person loses out – as do their family and their employer. It becomes a vicious circle. It is difficult to control outside stressors, but you need to take a holistic approach to employee well-being. To manage work related stress effectively, you need to recognise the importance and interaction of work and home problems. Next Slide

12. Returning to work after sickness absence If staff take time off work because of work related stress, getting them back to work as quickly as possible is important. A well managed early return to work will reduce the risk of the absence becoming long-term (long-term is defined is an absence period of longer than one month). In general, people find it more difficult to return to work after a long-term absence. Good practice Encouraging a speedy return to work is linked with a number of activities that are recognised as good practice in terms of early return to work. These actions include: Keeping in regular contactwith the employee. Regular contact helps to keep work on their agenda and offers good opportunities to plan the return to work. Someone will need to keep in contact and have regular discussions about progress. Reviewing the situation.The employee needs to regularly review their situation with their GP. Return to work discussions.A return to work discussion with the person may help to identify what caused them to go off work and what adjustments their manager needs to make. The person may find it hard to talk about these issues. There may also be factors outside work that contributed to the person’s work related stress. Talking to the employee about these to see if any adjustments at work will help. No-one should assume that stress is only caused by factors outside work Next Slide Staged return.When the employee feels ready to return to work, a 'staged return' – for example, working part-time hours for the first few weeks – can help ease them back into their work

13. Reasonable adjustments As stress at work is often linked to specific problems, (e.g. having too much to do in too short a time), it may be worth thinking about practical steps or adjustments that may help the employee when they return. If workload is an issue, some temporary adjustments may need to be made to reduce the amount of work they will have to deal with. This may help to reduce the pressure of work over the short-term. If the person has found it difficult to cope with particular tasks involved in their job, temporary adaptations and/or changes to the job may provide valuable breathing space by reducing immediate work pressures on return. Is the person clear about what their job involves and what is expected of them? If not, a review may clarify the aims of the job and the tasks they are expected to complete. People returning to work after being off with stress often prefer a period of stability. If changes are unavoidable, the employee needs to be fully involved and consulted. Next Slide

14. Additional advice for Line Managers Be ready To prevent and manage work related stress, you need to: • Accept that work related stress might be a problem for your staff. • Understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress. • Listen to your staff and to take action on what you find out. • Set expectationswith your staff, so that they understand what you can and cannot do for them. • Make timeto tackle stress properly. Dealing with stress • Respond to work related stress in your team • Manage people with work related stress at work • Manage absence and return to work • Understand and deal with bullying and harassment • Recognise and avoid becoming stressed yourself Next Slide

15. Support for Managers If you require any further support please liaise with your appropriate Resource Manager, HR contact and or the Safe Guarding Team Next Slide

16. QUESTIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS SELECT TRUE OR FALSE Please note if any questions are answered incorrectly you will be taken back into the presentation to review the course content Next Slide

17. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress True False

18. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress True False CLICK EITHER TRUE OR FALSE IF CORRECT YOU WILL GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION.IF WRONG YOU WILL SEE THE ANSWER

19. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress 3.Managers should understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress True False CLICK EITHER TRUE OR FALSE IF CORRECT YOU WILL GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION.IF WRONG YOU WILL SEE THE ANSWER

20. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress 3.Managers should understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress True False 4.Bullying and Harassment can be a cause of stress CLICK EITHER TRUE OR FALSE IF CORRECT YOU WILL GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION.IF WRONG YOU WILL SEE THE ANSWER

21. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress 3.Managers should understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress 4.Bullying and Harassment can be a cause of stress True False 5.People returning to work after being off with stress do not prefer a period of stability CLICK EITHER TRUE OR FALSE IF CORRECT YOU WILL GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION.IF WRONG YOU WILL SEE THE ANSWER

22. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress 3.Managers should understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress 4.Bullying and Harassment can be a cause of stress 5.People returning to work after being off with stress do not prefer a period of stability True False 6.Sign of stress can be Eczema or Psoriasis

23. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress 3.Managers should understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress 4.Bullying and Harassment can be a cause of stress 5.People returning to work after being off with stress do not prefer a period of stability 6.Sign of stress can be Eczema or Psoriasis True False 7.If you are concerned about a colleague try to convince them to see their GP.

24. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress 3.Managers should understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress 4.Bullying and Harassment can be a cause of stress 5.People returning to work after being off with stress do not prefer a period of stability 6.Sign of stress can be Eczema or Psoriasis 7.If you are concerned about a colleague try to convince them to see their GP. True False 8.Poor performance is a sign of stress in a group

25. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress 3.Managers should understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress 4.Bullying and Harassment can be a cause of stress 5.People returning to work after being off with stress do not prefer a period of stability 6.Sign of stress can be Eczema or Psoriasis 7.If you are concerned about a colleague try to convince them to see their GP. 8.Poor performance is a sign of stress in a group True False 9.As a Manager you do not have to respond to work related stress in your team

26. Stress Awareness Test 1.Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress 2.Managers are responsible in order to diagnose stress 3.Managers should understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress 4.Bullying and Harassment can be a cause of stress 5.People returning to work after being off with stress do not prefer a period of stability 6.Sign of stress can be Eczema or Psoriasis 7.If you are concerned about a colleague try to convince them to see their GP. 8.Poor performance is a sign of stress in a group 9.As a Manager you do not have to respond to work related stress in your team True False 10.HSE has identified six factors that can lead to work related stress if they are not managed properly.

27. Legal requirement This is a brief summary of some of the law in this area. All employers have legal responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to ensure the health safety and welfare at work of their employees. This includes minimising the risk of stress-related illness or injury to employees. Line managers • From a line manager's perspective, legal responsibility rests primarily with the ‘employer’ who is responsible not only for action or lack of action at board level but also for all those employed by him. Line managers have an important role in assisting employers to proactively address work related stress, and in doing so reduce the likelihood of employees suffering from work related stress. • Examples of issues line managers may wish to consider include: • Whether stress may be a factor in relation to frequent or long-term absenteeism for individual employees • How they will monitor and address potential sources of stress • Identify what medical and other evidence is required to determine whether the employee may have a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010. If so, consider whether the employee is being treated less favourably for a reason related to the disability and whether there are reasonable adjustments that could be made • Report their concerns to appropriate senior personnel while maintaining any obligations of confidentiality. Return To Questions

28. Signs of stress in a group • Disputes and disaffection within the group • Increase in staff turnover • Increase in complaints and grievances • Increased sickness absence • Increased reports of stress • Difficulty in attracting new staff • Poor performance • Customer dissatisfaction or complaints It is not up to you or your managers to diagnose stress. If you or they are very worried about a person, recommend they see their GP. It is up to you and your managers to recognise that behaviours have changed, be aware that something is wrong and take prompt action. Take care not to over react to small changes in behaviour. You and your managers need to act when these behavioural changes continue. Use these symptoms (both individual and group) as clues. Return To Questions

29. Additional advice for Line Managers Be ready To prevent and manage work related stress, you need to: • Accept that work related stress might be a problem for your staff. • Understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress. • Listen to your staff and to take action on what you find out. • Set expectationswith your staff, so that they understand what you can and cannot do for them. • Make timeto tackle stress properly. Dealing with stress • Respond to work related stress in your team • Manage people with work related stress at work • Manage absence and return to work • Understand and deal with bullying and harassment • Recognise and avoid becoming stressed yourself Return To Questions

30. Causes of Stress cont… It is important to understand each of the six factors and how they are related to each other, as this can influence the amount of stress an individual experiences: A person can reduce the impact of high demands if they have high control over their work. The impact of high demands and low control can be reduced by having high levels of support, either from colleagues or from you as a manager. Relationships can be one of the biggest sources of stress, especially where there are problems like bullying and harassment Problems with role are probably the easier problems to solve. Change does not have to be at an organisational level to have an impact on individuals or teams, for example, changes in team members, line managers or the type of work or technology used by the team can be just as stressful. Return To Questions

31. Reasonable adjustments As stress at work is often linked to specific problems, (e.g. having too much to do in too short a time), it may be worth thinking about practical steps or adjustments that may help the employee when they return. If workload is an issue, some temporary adjustments may need to be made to reduce the amount of work they will have to deal with. This may help to reduce the pressure of work over the short-term. If the person has found it difficult to cope with particular tasks involved in their job, temporary adaptations and/or changes to the job may provide valuable breathing space by reducing immediate work pressures on return. Is the person clear about what their job involves and what is expected of them? If not, a review may clarify the aims of the job and the tasks they are expected to complete. People returning to work after being off with stress often prefer a period of stability. If changes are unavoidable, the employee needs to be fully involved and consulted. Return To Question

32. Signs & Symptoms Return To Questions

33. Signs of stress in individuals • Emotional symptoms • Negative or depressive feeling • Disappointment with yourself • Increased emotional reactions - more tearful or sensitive or aggressive • Loneliness, withdrawn • Loss of motivation commitment and confidence • Mood swings (not behavioural) • Mental • Confusion, indecision • Cant concentrate • Poor memory • Changes from your normal behaviour • Changes in eating habits • Increased smoking, drinking or drug taking 'to cope' • Mood swings effecting your behaviour • Changes in sleep patterns • Twitchy, nervous behaviour • Changes in attendance such as arriving later or taking more time off. Return To Questions Please note these are indicators of behaviour of those experiencing stress. They may also be indicative of other conditions. If you are concerned about yourself please seek advice from your GP. If you are concerned about a colleague try to convince them to see their GP.

34. Signs of stress in a group • Disputes and disaffection within the group • Increase in staff turnover • Increase in complaints and grievances • Increased sickness absence • Increased reports of stress • Difficulty in attracting new staff • Poor performance • Customer dissatisfaction or complaints It is not up to you or your managers to diagnose stress. If you or they are very worried about a person, recommend they see their GP. It is up to you and your managers to recognise that behaviours have changed, be aware that something is wrong and take prompt action. Take care not to over react to small changes in behaviour. You and your managers need to act when these behavioural changes continue. Use these symptoms (both individual and group) as clues. Return To Questions

35. Additional advice for Line Managers Be ready To prevent and manage work related stress, you need to: • Accept that work related stress might be a problem for your staff. • Understand what work related stress is and the relationship between work and home stress. • Listen to your staff and to take action on what you find out. • Set expectationswith your staff, so that they understand what you can and cannot do for them. • Make timeto tackle stress properly. Dealing with stress • Respond to work related stress in your team • Manage people with work related stress at work • Manage absence and return to work • Understand and deal with bullying and harassment • Recognise and avoid becoming stressed yourself Return To Test

36. Causes of Stress HSE has identified six factors that can lead to work related stress if they are not managed properly. DemandsEmployees indicate that they are able to cope with the demands of their jobs.Control Employees indicate that they are able to have a say about the way they do their work.Support Employees indicate that they receive adequate information and support from their colleagues and superiors.Relationships Employees indicate that they are not subjected to unacceptable behaviours, e.g. bullying at work.Role Employees indicate that they understand their role and responsibilities.Change Employees indicate that the organisation engages them frequently when undergoing an organisational change. Return To Test

37. This is to certify that of WWM CRC Stress Awareness Training 2017/2018