Work-related stress is the reaction people have to demands which exceeds their capacity and capability to cope. As part of a commitment to staff wellbeing, the University wants to identify and address the causes of work-related stress.
Staff experiencing stress may have symptoms such as headaches, irritability, poor concentration, tiredness and anxiety. They may lose interest in their work, have difficulty making decisions, make more mistakes or have a lower resistance to infection.
Stress can be caused or increased when:
Stress will impact on work performance and productivity and lead to increased absenteeism, staff turnover and accident rates. If stress is not addressed, staff may develop mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, or physical health problems, such as heart disease, upper limb or digestive disorders.
Stress could be prevented if you:
It is generally accepted that the longer a member of staff is absent from work with stress, the harder it is for them to return. This will have a significant effect on their emotional and economic wellbeing and departments risk losing a valuable member of their team.
As a university that wants to be recognised for its world-class research, we cannot afford to lose the knowledge and expertise of our researchers, or the staff who support them. Absence of team members will increase pressure on other staff, making it harder for the team to meet its objectives or to give students a quality teaching experience.
The University has to bear the costs of long-term sickness absences, ill-health retirements, the replacement and retraining of staff, and possible litigation. Stress is recognised as a health and safety issue and failure to address it could lead to enforcement action, impacting negatively on the University's reputation.
Our Strategic Mental Health Risk Assessment - COVID-19 has been created to enable the University to identify potential mental health related hazards arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and who might be affected and the steps being taken to eliminate or reduce these hazards. It will help to: