KEEPING HAPPY AND HEALTHY:
ADVICE FOR NUT MEMBERS WHO EXPERIENCE
MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS
INTRODUCTION
This guidance document is aimed at NUT members who are worried that their mental
health is suffering because of the demands of their work. It will also be of use to NUT
members who are considering returning to work following a spell of absence due to a
mental health condition.
The NUT itself cannot offer medical advice or counselling. What we can do, however, is
to assist with the work environment which is the trigger for many teachers’ anxiety or
depression. We can also put you in touch with professional counsellors who can help
you to make a full recovery.
For many teachers, excessive workload is a key cause of the deterioration in their
mental health. For others bullying or harassment is a major factor. Where either
workload or bullying/harassment is at the root of your health problem, then you are
unlikely to be the only member of staff affected. In such circumstances a collective
approach from your NUT division or association may be the best way of addressing the
issue for all concerned.
At the end of this document is a list of guidance documents which are aimed at
supporting members with workload issues.
They are all available at
www.teachers.org.uk. The NUT campaigns vigorously on workload issues and the
‘Campaigns’ section of this website includes specific information about this area of our
work.
Are mental health conditions common in the teaching profession?
The answer to this question is a definite yes, so there is no need to feel isolated or
stigmatised if you do suffer a mental illness. Mental ill health is the second largest cause
of sickness absence in the UK. It is, therefore, extremely common. About one in four
people in Britain has this diagnosis at some point in their life. Teaching is considered to
be one of the most stressful professions. It is hardly surprising therefore that many
teachers will experience a problem at some point in their career.
What sort of mental health conditions are caused by stress?
Stress caused by excessive workload, poor pupil behaviour, lack of communication and
conflict at work can lead to all sorts of problems, including anxiety, depression, insomnia,
an increased dependency on drugs or alcohol and changes in behaviour. Events in
peoples’ home lives can also contribute but it is often the intensity of work pressures,
combined with other problems and pressures, that tips people ‘over the edge’. If
teaching did not take such a heavy toll, most teachers would be in a stronger position to
withstand other pressures such as divorce, bereavement and other unhappy ‘life events’.
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How would I know if I am developing a mental health condition?
You may feel overwhelmed, as if you cannot face going to work. You may start to
experience headaches and find it difficult to sleep. Your behaviour may become erratic
or you may experience extreme mood swings and become tearful.
Often it is partners, friends or colleagues who may recognise that there is something
wrong before you are able to admit it to yourself. Most teachers are extremely dedicated
to their job and will try to carry on for a long time before recognising that they cannot
cope any more. It is, therefore, those around them who are most likely to notice
changes in personality or behaviour.
If someone who cares about you, and whom you trust, suggests that you seek help, then
please consider doing so. Early intervention is recognised as being a major factor in
recovery and in many cases can prevent a problem from becoming a full-blown crisis.
Similarly, if you become aware that a colleague or friend is suffering in this way, a few
words of support and advice may encourage them to seek the help they need.
How can the NUT help me?
There are two principal ways in which we can help. Firstly, direct professional support
provided in the first instance through our network of lay officers. The contact details for
your NUT local officers can be found on your NUT membership credential. Regional
offices in England and NUT Cymru in Wales are also able to provide support. Contact
details for regional offices and NUT Cymru are set out at the end of this guidance
document. Both lay officers and regional/NUT Cymru staff have a wealth of experience
in supporting members whose work is making them ill, and in directing them to other
effective sources of help.
Secondly, we work hard to try to publicise good practice on areas such as stress,
harassment and bullying, absence monitoring and many others. In March 2008, we
published guidance for head teachers on ‘Preventing Work-Related Mental Health
Conditions by Tackling Stress’. Head teachers who follow this advice are much more
likely to lead happy, healthy and ultimately successful schools.
In terms of practical, individual support, the NUT can, through its local officer network:

Intervene at an early stage of any difficult work situation to ensure that you
receive help and support before you become ill. This includes taking steps to
seek to resolve any work-related problems which are making you ill;

act as a ‘buffer’ between you and school management, if you find direct contact
difficult during sick leave;

help organise flexible working hours, additional class support or a phased return
to work (see section below on ‘Returning to Work’);

advise on sick leave entitlements; and

accompany you to meetings with school management.
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Who else can help me if I feel that I can’t cope?
Remember you are not alone. Apart from family, friends and the NUT, there are many
sources of assistance.
Your GP is an obvious first port of call as are any local employee assistance
programming. You can also contact the Teacher Support Network. Teacher Support
Network is an independent charity that provides practical and emotional support to
trainee, serving and retired teachers and their families. Through coaching, counselling,
information, money advice and financial support, the charity helps tens of thousands of
teachers each year on the phone or online. Their services are free, completely
confidential and can be accessed via:
www.teachersupport.info.
08000 562 561 (England)
08000 855 088 (Wales)
If you are signed off sick by your GP with a mental health condition, perhaps with
medication and counselling, you may be referred by your employer to its Occupational
Health Service. If not, you may be able to request such a referral. Remember that the
occupational health service is a neutral body and is not biased in favour of employee or
employer.
Discussing the situation with an occupational health professional is helpful since it brings
into the open the question of whether work was a contributing factor to the illness. If so,
occupational health can advise on changes that need to be made to the way in which
you are expected to work.
Even if you are not referred to your employer’s occupational health service, you need to
be aware of the changes to the way in which medical statements operate, applicable
from April 2010.
Prior to April 2010 a sick note simply stated whether a doctor believed that you should,
or should not, be in work. The medical statement, introduced on 6th April 2010, either
indicates that you are ‘not fit for work’, or that you ‘may be fit for work’ under certain
circumstances. Your GP will also be able to suggest changes that would assist a return
to work.
There are four types of alterations listed on the medical statement (commonly known as
the ‘fit note’) which the GP can tick. These are:




A phased return to work
Altered hours
Amended duties
Workplace adaptations
Detailed advice for members on the new medical statement is available from
www.teachers.org.uk/node/12815. A key feature of the system is that if you have been
on sick leave you will need to discuss as fully as possible with your GP what measures
would assist your return to work. You will then need to discuss these recommendations
with your head teacher, with the support of your NUT school representative or local
officer if necessary.
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It is important to note that if your head teacher will not, or cannot, make the changes
necessary to support your return to work, you are deemed to be ‘not fit for work’ and
should remain on sick leave.
Note that if you are disabled and covered by the Equality Act then the new procedure
does not alter the duty on the employer to make reasonable adjustments regardless of
what a GP recommends. Furthermore, if you are disabled within the meaning of the Act,
you may be able to insist that proposals in a ‘fit note’ are reasonable adjustments and
should be implemented by the employer.
Returning to Work
Returning to work after a prolonged period of sickness absence can be a daunting
prospect. The NUT can help to support you through this process by negotiating properly
planned, mutually agreed and supportive ‘return to work plans’, which will include
adjustments to your working pattern for a set period of time, as recommended by your
GP on your medical statement. Examples of adjustments could include some, or all, of
the following:




a phased return to work;
a timetable adjustment;
additional support in class; and
no expectation that any extra-curricular activities will be undertaken.
This list simply includes a few examples of adjustments that may assist a return to work.
Remember that you should know better than anyone else what support would benefit
you most. You may find it helpful to discuss this with a representative from your local
division of association.
Don’t worry if you experience a setback after your return to work. This is quite common
and may indicate that further support may be needed. In such cases, the NUT will
continue to work constructively on your behalf with your school and the occupational
health service to achieve a full recovery.
In moments of crisis, some teachers suffering from extreme
stress simply resign. We would strongly counsel against
such decisions being made in haste. Better to consult your
GP and the NUT before making such a decision.
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FURTHER SUPPORT
NORTHERN REGION
SOUTH EAST REGION
NUT Regional Office
3 McMillan Close
Saltwell Business Park
Gateshead
NE9 5BF
Tel: (0191) 482 7700
Fax: (0191) 482 7720
Email: northern@nut.org.uk
NUT Regional Office
Britton House
College Road
Ardingly
West Sussex
RH17 6TT
Tel: (01444) 894500
Fax: (01444) 594516
Email: south.east@nut.org.uk
NORTH WEST REGION
SOUTH WEST REGION
NUT Regional Office
25 Chorley New Road
BOLTON
Lancashire BL1 4QR
Tel: (01204) 521434
Fax: (01204) 362650
Email: north.west@nut.org.uk
NUT Regional Office
1 Lower Avenue
HEAVITREE
Exeter
Devon EX1 2PR
Tel: (01392) 258028
Fax: (01392) 286818
Email: south.west@nut.org.uk
YORKSHIRE/MIDLAND REGION
LONDON REGION
NUT Regional Office
Lazarus House (1st Floor)
14 Princes Street
Doncaster
South Yorkshire DN1 3NJ
Tel: (01302) 342448
Fax: (01302) 341021
Email: Yorkshire.midlands@nut.org.uk
NUT Regional Office
Ravenscourt House
322A King Street
LONDON W6 0RR
Tel: (020) 8477 1234
Fax: (020) 8563 8877
Email: London.west@nut.org.uk
MIDLANDS REGION
NUT Regional Office
Jarvis House
96 Stone Road
STAFFORD ST16 2RS
Tel: (01785) 244129
Fax: (01785) 223138
Email: midlands@nut.org.uk
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NUT Regional Office
103 Cranbrook Road
ILFORD
Essex IG1 4PU
Tel: (020) 8477 1234
Fax: (020) 8477 1230
Email: London.east@nut.org.uk
EASTERN REGION
WALES – CYMRU
NUT Regional Office
Elm House
45a Anvil Way
Kennett
Newmarket
Suffolk CB8 8GY
Tel: (01638) 555300
Fax: (01638) 555330
Email: eastern@nut.org.uk
NUT Cymru Office
Ty Sinnott
18 Neptune Court
Vanguard Way
CARDIFF
CF24 5PJ
Tel: 02920 491818
Fax: 02920 492491
Email: cymru.wales@nut.org.uk
TEACHER SUPPORT NETWORK
08000 562 561 (England)
08000 855 088 (Wales)
www.teachersupport.info
USEFUL NUT PUBLICATIONS
Preventing Work-Related Mental Health Conditions by Tackling Stress – Guidance for Head
Teachers - http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/12549
Work/Life Balance Guidance - http://www.teachers.org.uk/workload
Work/Life Balance Model Policy - http://www.teachers.org.uk/workload
Tackling Stress - http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/12562
Absence Monitoring: NUT Guidance for Members - http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/13819
Harassment and Bullying: Guidance for Members and School Representatives http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/12522
Occupational Health Guidance - http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/12827
Teachers’ Pay and Sick Leave Guidance - http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/1584
Teachers Working Time and Duties: An NUT Guide -http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/11020
Time off for Family and Domestic Reasons - http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/12844
Guidance for Members on the
http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/1581
All available from www.teachers.org.uk
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Right
to
Request
Flexible
Working
-