STRESS POLICY
Scope
We are committed to protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff. We recognise the importance of identifying and tackling the causes of work-related stress. We also recognise that personal stress, while unrelated to the workplace, can adversely affect the wellbeing of staff at work. We want to support the mental wellbeing of all our staff and will provide appropriate support for staff who are suffering from stress or mental ill health, on a confidential basis where appropriate, regardless of its source.
This policy takes account of our obligations under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Employment Rights Act 1996, Protection from Harassment Act 1997, Working Time Regulations 1998 and Equality Act 2010.
Procedure
You should ensure that you are familiar with this policy and act in accordance with its aims and objectives. You should plan and organise your work to meet personal and organisational objectives and co-operate with support, advice and guidance that may be offered by nursery managers and the Managing Director. Anyone who experiences or is aware of a situation that may result in work-related stress or undermine mental wellbeing at work should speak to their nursery manager.
Stress at work can come about for a variety of reasons. It may be excessive workload, unreasonable expectations, or overly-demanding work colleagues. The Company will try to ensure that you are in a pleasant working environment and that you are as free from stress as possible.
As a Company, we will:
Promote a culture of open communication. We want you to feel confident that any concerns you raise about your work or working environment will be addressed. We will provide both formal and informal means for you to raise concerns.
Provide training for managers in good management practices.
Take account of stress and mental wellbeing when planning and allocating workloads. We will provide opportunities to discuss these through our appraisal and one-to-one supervision processes.
Monitor working hours and overtime to ensure that you are not overworking and monitor holidays to ensure that you are using your entitlement.
Ensure risk assessments include or specifically address work-related stress.
Facilitate requests for flexible working where reasonably practicable in accordance with our Flexible Working Policy.
Ensure that in any workplace reorganisation our change management processes are designed to minimise uncertainty and stress.
Implement policies and procedures to address factors that can cause stress at work, or add to personal stress, in particular so that we can:
- provide a workplace free from harassment, bullying and victimisation; and
- address inappropriate behaviour through disciplinary action.
Provide training to help all staff understand and recognise the causes of work-related stress and mental ill health, the impact of stress from factors in everyday life and the steps they can take to protect and enhance their own mental wellbeing and that of their colleagues.
Provide support services such as occupational health and mental health first aiders for staff affected by or absent by reason of stress.
Understanding stress and mental health
Please also refer to the Wellbeing and Mental Health Policy (46) in this Handbook.
Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or demands placed on them. Stress is not an illness but, sustained over a period of time, it can lead to mental and/or physical illness.
Mental health is a term to describe our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing; it affects how we think, feel and act and how we cope with the normal pressures of everyday life. Positive mental health is rarely an absolute state since factors inside and outside work affect mental health, meaning that we move on a spectrum that ranges from being in good to poor mental health.
There is an important distinction between working under pressure and experiencing stress. Certain levels of pressure are acceptable and normal in every job. They can improve performance, enable individuals to meet their full potential and provide a sense of achievement and job satisfaction. However, when pressure becomes excessive it produces stress and undermines mental health.
Pressures outside the workplace, whether the result of unexpected or traumatic events such as accidents, illness, bereavement, family breakdown or financial worries, can result in stress and poor mental health. They can also compound normal workplace pressures.
Addressing work-related stress
If you believe you are suffering from work-related stress you should discuss this with your nursery manager in the first instance. If you feel unable to do so you should contact the Managing Director.
Once an issue affecting your health comes to the attention of your nursery manager will discuss with you what steps can be taken to address that issue. Those steps may include any of the following:
- A review of your current job role, responsibilities, workload and working hours. Adjustments may be agreed to these, on a temporary basis and subject to further review, where appropriate.
- Where it appears that stress has been caused by bullying or harassment, investigation under our Disciplinary and/or Grievance Policies.
- Referral for medical advice, treatment and/or a medical report to be provided by occupational health or any specialist or GP who has been treating you.
- If you are on sickness absence, discussion of an appropriate return to work programme. Our Sickness Absence Policy may be applied.
Following action to reduce the risks, they shall be reassessed. If the risks remain unsustainable by you, efforts shall be made to reassign you to other work for which the risks are assessed as tolerable. Should you be unable to adjust to these arrangements, you should raise your concerns through the Grievance Policy
Confidentiality
Information about stress, mental health and mental wellbeing is highly sensitive. Every member of staff is responsible observing the high level of confidentiality that is required when dealing with information about stress or mental health whether they are supporting a colleague or because they are otherwise involved in the operation of a workplace policy or procedure.
Breach of confidentiality may give rise to disciplinary action. However, there are occasions when information about stress or mental wellbeing needs to be shared with third parties. For example:
- Where steps need to be taken to address work-related stress such as reallocating work within a team.
- Where medical advice is required on how to support a member of staff, address issues raised by work-related stress or address issues raised by mental ill health.
- Where allegations of harassment, bullying or other misconduct require a disciplinary investigation or proceedings to take place.
- Where a member of staff presents an immediate danger to themselves or others.
In these circumstances, wherever possible, matters will be discussed with you before any action is taken.