Department of Biology
Informal Process
Wherever possible, concerns regarding work-related stress should be dealt with at an informal level, through discussions between the employee and their manager. Individuals are therefore encouraged to raise any issues at an early stage with their manager.
The manager should establish a clear understanding of the individual’s sources of stress (“stressors”), and then work with them to agree a reasonable set of actions to reduce the level of stress experienced, so far as is reasonably practicable. These actions should be briefly documented, and reviewed at appropriate intervals to assess their effectiveness.
Managers may wish to use the Individual Stressor Questionnaire (ISQ) (Appendix 3 of the University’s ‘Managing Work-Related Stress’ Management Procedure) as the basis of a discussion with the individual, as this explores common causes of stress within the workplace. The ISQ is also available for individuals who wish to reflect upon the potential causes of their stress.
Managers may also:
- seek advice from Biology HR, Biology H & S Advisor, or the Employee Assistance Service which provides advice to managers on any aspect of their work
- refer the individual to sources of support (see Section 5) such as the Employee Assistance Service if the individual has not already accessed them