The University recognises that the workplace can present a risk to health of employees. Generally work-related stress is the most common cause of work-related ill health. We are committed to protecting the health of all our staff by reducing these risks as much as we can.
The aim of our stress and wellbeing programme is to:
• identify and reduce the causes of stress as far as practicable
• to create a positive work environment to improve employee wellbeing and enable staff to perform at their best
The University has developed two risk assessments to help managers identify and reduce the causes of stress and to also help individuals address levels of stress, a
Managers Risk Assessment and an Individual Risk Assessment. These assessments can be carried out separately or in combination.
Managers Risk Assessment
This guidance note provides advice on how to conduct a Managers Stress Risk
Assessment in 5 clear stages using the risk assessment form. As a manager it is important that you are aware of aspects of the work and work environment that may cause stress and identify signs of stress in your staff. You should discuss these with your staff or seek support from others in the University that may be available to help you address these issues.
The 5 steps to any risk assessment are:
 identify the hazards
 decide who might be harmed and how
 assess the risk and decide if it is currently causing stress
 record the findings and decide on any action required to eliminate or reduce stress
 review the assessment over time
Identify the hazards
The key work related factors with potential to cause stress related illness (the risk) in the company are: a. demands of the job b. control of work environment c. support d. relationships within the workplace e. role within organisation

f. management of change
Decide who might be harmed and how
Some people may be more vulnerable to developing work related stress illness than others. In particular those who:
 have a history of significant or physical health problems
 have been absent from work due to work-related stress or difficulties with coping in the past
 have personal difficulties which may be unrelated to work
 are inexperienced in their role

are of a personality type which tends towards over work or being unable to cope with pressure.
You may be aware of some additional factors which will need to be handled sensitively and in confidence.
Individual Risk Assessment Form
It is important that individuals raise any concerns about pressure at work and outside work early so that the University can look to see if they can take steps to reduce excessive pressures (or stress) where possible and / or support the employee.
Similarly, it is good practice for individual teams to regularly discuss pressures at work so that they can be addressed, where possible, if they are becoming excessive.
Where it is not possible to directly reduce the pressures it is still important for teams to discuss them so that individuals do not feel alone and team members can support each other.
This risk assessment can be used to support discussions with individuals or teams to systematically work through the pressures and consider if these are a source of stress and, if so, if any action can be taken to reduce the risks to performance and health.
Individual risk assessments are facilitated by the Line Manager. It is useful if the individual employee has an opportunity to look through the risk assessment in advance of the one-on-one meeting.
Team risk assessments are most commonly facilitated by the Team Manager /
Leader. It is useful if the individual team members have an opportunity to look through the risk assessment in advance of the team discussion
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 Member of staff has been off work suffering from the effects of stress or has indicated they are feeling symptoms of workplace stress
OR
 Member of staff has completed the Individual Stress Risk Assessment form
 Manager to conduct the Managers Stress Risk Assessment of the individual’s job role and working environment to identify what is causing workplace stress (using the
Managers Stress Risk Assessment Form)
OR
 Individual and Manger complete the Individual Risk Assessment. Individual risk assessments are facilitated by the Line Manager. It is useful if the individual employee has an opportunity to look through the risk assessment in advance of the one-on-one meeting.
 Identify what action can be taken to avoid or reduce the causes of stress
 Manager to discuss and agree with member of staff an appropriate action plan
 Maintain a copy of the completed risk assessment forms in the member of staff’s personal file
If required, consider the following:
 Contact Human Resources for support
 Refer to occupational health
 Refer to Work Place Options – Employee Assistance Programme
 Consider how you control the hazard further with guidance from Health & Safety
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Some useful resources
Managers guide to monitoring stress and supporting staff http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/hr/healthandsafety/policies/Documents/Stress-Policy-Managers-
Guide-2014.pdf
Employee Assistance Programme
Workplace options has some valuable information and resources on stress management and prevention . http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/hr/workingattheUniversity/healthandwellbeing/Pages/Employee%20
Assistance%20Programme.aspx
HSE management standards http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/downloads.htm
Managing the causes of work related stress http://hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg218.pdf
.
Steps for stress http://www.stepsforstress.org/templates/Inner/order-booklet.php

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