Managers have general responsibility for the health and safety of their teams. This includes ensuring that the team are not affected by work-related stressors. Management style can have an impact on stress, so it’s important that you are aware of good management practices and that you develop your management skills. It is also important that you recognise the signs of stress in your team and know what support to give team members who may be suffering from stress. Specific responsibilities include:
- Conduct stress risk assessments within their areas of responsibility and take action mitigate identified stressors
- Ensure effective communication between management and staff, particularly where there are organisational or process changes
- Ensure that staff are appropriately trained to fulfil their roles and receive opportunities for personal development
- Monitor workloads to ensure that staff are not overloaded
- Monitor working hours and overtime to ensure that staff are not over-working and that they take their full holiday entitlement
- Attend training in good management practice and health and safety
- Tackle incidents of bullying and harassment when they occur
- Refer to Human Resources or Occupational Health any employee who presents with stress-related ill health
- Offer appropriate support to employees who are experiencing stress outside work
- Ensure effective PDR
- Hold regular 1:1 and team meetings.
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