Stress

No one on their ‘death bed’ ever regretted
not having spent more time at work!

Definition of stress

The HSE’s formal definition of work related stress is:

“The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work.”

Stress is not an illness – it is a state. However, if stress becomes too excessive and prolonged, mental and physical illness may develop.

Work is generally good for people, but it may also be a great source of pressure.

Stress occurs when this pressure becomes excessive.

Statistics

35% of all work-related illnesses are thought to be caused by stress.
(Over 400,000 out of a total of 1,152,000 - Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2010/11)
Education is one of the industries which reported the most work-related stress in the last three years.
44 per cent of teachers said that their job was “very” or “extremely stressful”.
Those who reported extreme stress and job dissatisfaction were more likely to suffer from poor personal health.
Ref 1 Statistics from 2005 report, ‘The Teachers Health and Wellbeing Study Scotland’ by Dr Claire Dunlop and Dr Ewan B Macdonald from the Healthy Working Lives Group at the University of Glasgow,
Work related mental health problems, including stress, accounted for 9.8 million working days lost.
It is estimated that the total cost of mental health related sickness absence in Scotland amounted to around £690 million; a total of 13.8 million working days.
Employees in large workplaces lost on average 0.57 days per worker due to work related stress.
On average, every person who suffered from work related stress took 30.2 days off work.
Teachers and lecturers do more unpaid overtime than any other professional group.
40% of newly qualified teachers leave the profession within their first three years.
Only a third of teachers remain in the profession through to their retirement date.
In an analysis of the usage of ‘help lines’, stress due to specific work related problems is three times higher in teaching than other professions.

Signs of stress

Most of us have experienced stress; some signs are easy to spot, and action can be taken before the pressure becomes a problem. Sometimes we observe it in our colleagues and friends at work.

Not all of these symptoms are purely stress related, but we are particularly looking for changes
in people’s behaviour patterns. These may include:

Emotional symptoms

Negative or depressive feelings
Disappointment with oneself
Increased emotional reactions – more tearful, sensitive, aggressive
Loneliness, withdrawal, isolation
Loss of motivation, commitment and confidence
Mood swings (not behavioural)

Mental

Confusion, indecision
Inability to concentrate
Poor memory

Changes from normal behaviour

Eating habits
Increased smoking, drinking or drug taking ‘to cope’
Mood swings affecting behaviour
Disturbed sleep patterns
Twitchy, nervous behaviour
Attendance, such as arriving later or taking more time off.

Signs of stress in a school may be:

Disputes and disaffection within the school
Increase in staff turnover
Increase in complaints and grievances- disillusionment and lack of motivation
Increased sickness absence
Increased reports of stress
Difficulty in attracting new staff
Poor performance
Pupil/parental dissatisfaction or complaints

It is not up to you to diagnose stress. If you are very worried about a person, recommend that they see their GP.

However, it is up to you to recognise that something is wrong. Either alert the person concerned or your line manager that you suspect something is wrong and take prompt action before more serious consequences occur.

Over time, stress may have more serious consequences!

Causes of Stress

There are many causes of stress but they fall into two main categories:

Work related
Home related

Work related Stress:

The HSE has identified six factors which can lead to work related stress if they are not managed properly:

Relationships:[5] Subject to unacceptable behaviours, e.g. bullying or harassment at work.
Change:[7] No consultation or influence over changes.
Support:[4] Lack of adequate information and support from colleagues and line managers.
Demands:[2] Unreasonable demands such as workload, work patterns, work environment and training.
Control:[3] Having no say, not being consulted.
Role:[6] Unclear roles and responsibilities that often change and are ill defined.

Home related Stress

These factors can vary from personal and relationship problems through to almost anything else.

Legal Responsibilities

‘Your manager has a duty to ensure that work does not make you ill’

All employers have a 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 of their employees. This includes minimising the risk of stress-related illness or injury to employees.

Headteachers’ responsibilities-:

Monitor factors which might suggest that there is a problem with stress-related illness in their schools; for example, high rates of absenteeism, staff turnover, poor performance, staff conflicts
Ensure there is a health and safety policy that addresses the issue of stress in the workplace, including, if appropriate, a stress management strategy
Ensure effective risk assessments have been carried out, are monitored regularly, and any recommendations are being implemented and adequately funded
Plan for stress-related risks when embarking on significant organisational change.
Lead by example – e.g. demonstrating a commitment to work–life balance initiatives by not working excessive hours
Provide commitment, including providing necessary resources to undertake the Management Standards[1] and to implement identified solutions
Support SMT and Health and Safety Managers in taking action to prevent and manage stress

SMT and Health and Safety Managers have an important role in assisting head teachers to address proactively work related stress, and to reduce the likelihood of employees suffering from work related stress.

Keep up to date with best practice relating to work related stress
Conduct and review risk assessments
Find out about specific issues that may indicate that risk assessments need reviewing or updating – such as evidence of an employee suffering stress or larger management changes to the business
Provide information to employees about stress-related illnesses and their obligations to inform managers about risks at work
Examine stress as a possible factor in relation to frequent or long-term absenteeism for individual employees
To engage and communicate with staff about this issue and raise awareness – this may include working with trade union
Implementing solutions identified by staff and monitor solutions and procedures
To work with, for example, occupational health services, to identify sources of problems which need action and to manage successful return to work

PTs and Faculty Heads Responsibilities

From a line manager’s perspective, legal responsibility rests primarily with the Head Teacher and Council as the primary employer.

HOWEVER, line managers have an important role in assisting employers to address proactively work related stress, and in doing so reduce the likelihood of employees suffering from work related stress.

PTs and Faculty Heads should consider the following as part of their responsibilities:

To understand what work related stress is, what causes it and how it can be prevented and managed
To engage and communicate with staff about stress and raise awareness
To be aware of your school’s policies and procedures on this issue
To support and get involved in organisational initiatives to tackle stress; for example, encouraging staff to complete questionnaires, attend focus groups or suggest solutions
To understand how to prevent and manage work related stress, and how this can be exacerbated
To be aware of competencies in managing and preventing this issue, and how this can impact on staff, as well as taking action to improve competencies
To identify potential causes of stress before they become a problem
Identify early symptoms of work related stress in the team, and work with individuals and SMT in resolving the problem
Support staff to prevent work related stress and help them manage it once it occurs, including providing access to relevant support services

Line managers are crucial in the successful prevention and management of work related stress within their teams. They tend to be the first port of call when there is a problem, and they are in an ideal position to be able to identify and manage stress. However, the way that they behave can also be part of the problem; if a manager has the appropriate skills, they are better able to prevent stress within the team.

Employee’s Responsibilities

Employees also have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and for colleagues who may be affected by their actions. Employees have a responsibility to raise concerns, and tell their manager or representative about possible problems and sources of stress.

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
Be aware of your organisation’s policies and procedures on this issue
Identify potential causes of stress for yourself or your colleagues before they become a problem, and raise them with your line manager or other suitable individuals. This may include, where appropriate, sources of stress outside of work
Be supportive to colleagues experiencing work related stress

Union and H&S representatives

Trade unions are key in ensuring that an organisation engages with staff over stress, and uses staff suggestions in developing its solutions. Trade Union representatives may be the first port of call for staff experiencing problems, particularly if the line management chain is part of the problem. Trade Union Representatives’ roles and responsibilities include:

To understand what work related stress is, what causes it and how it can be prevented and managed
To encourage your organisation to tackle this issue and gain commitment to it
To engage and communicate with staff about this issue and raise awareness
To work with your organisation in developing approaches, policies and procedures to tackle it, e.g. supporting the organisation to undertake the Management Standards or equivalent approach to identify problem areas and solutions
To monitor and review solutions and your procedures
To provide support to individuals experiencing work related stress, help them talk to their line manager about the problem, and direct them to suitable services to help them tackle this issue, for example, occupational health services

Stress Busting Techniques

Most councils provide their employees with free and confidential counselling – use it, it is free.

There are many useful websites and links which can help; try our website H&S - Stress management area and the links detailed at the end of this document.

You can assist stressed colleagues by:

being a ‘caring colleague’ who notices the external signs of depression, anxiety, and has time to listen
being able to advise a colleague on the most appropriate sources of professional and ‘self help’

Learn to manage your time more effectively.
A lot of time is wasted doing unimportant tasks, especially when stressed, so prioritise your day and do the important jobs first. Lesser tasks can wait, and often they will disappear completely, leaving you time to do other things. Also, don’t put off the unpleasant tasks – avoidance causes a great deal of stress. Give unpleasant tasks a high priority and do them first
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Adopt a healthy lifestyle
If we eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and ensure we get adequate sleep & rest, our body is better able to cope with stress should it occur. If any of these areas are not happening for you, it is usually a warning sign. Don’t ignore it, Ask for some help!
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Know your limitations and do not take on too much.
We cause ourselves a great deal of stress because we like people to like us, and don’t want to let people down. We then end up doing more than we should. Learn to delegate effectively and be assertive, so that you can say no without upsetting or offending.
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Find out what causes you stress
Take time to discover what is worrying you and try to change your thoughts and behaviour to reduce it. A stress assessment may help you to understand fully the causes, implications for your health and how to manage, cope and make those necessary changes.
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Avoid unnecessary conflict
Do not be too argumentative. Is it really worth the stress? Look for win - win situations. Look for a resolution to a dispute where both parties will achieve a positive outcome. Find out what the real cause of the problem is and deal with it.
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Accept the things you cannot change
Changing a difficult situation is not always possible. If this proves to be the case, recognise and accept things as they are and concentrate on all that you do have control over. Managing change effectively is essential or else performance will be reduced.
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Take time out to relax and recharge your batteries
Use your breaks and lunchtimes to rest and recharge. Take real holidays, with at least one break of 10-14 continuous days recommended. You will perform more effectively during work after even a short 10/15 minute break, easily making up the time you used relaxing.
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Find time to meet friends
Friends can ease work troubles and help us see things in a different way. The activities we engage in with friends help us relax, and we will often have a good laugh. It boosts the immune system which is often depleted during stress. If you do become stressed, engage in some form of physical activity. It works off the biochemical and physical changes which occur within your body due to stress. Relaxation also helps your body return to its normal healthy state. Good relaxation techniques include breathing exercises, massage and a variety of complementary therapies.
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Try to see things differently, develop a positive thinking style
If something is concerning you, try to see it differently. Talk over your problem before it gets out of proportion. Often, talking to a friend/colleague/family member will help you see things from a different and less stressful perspective. You may also need to consider professional help in order to achieve the desired outcome and prevent ill health and/or burnout.
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Avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine as coping mechanisms
Long term, these faulty coping mechanisms will just add to the problem. For example, caffeine & nicotine are stimulants; too much & the body reacts to this with the stress response increasing or even causing anxiety symptoms. Alcohol is a depressant!