Preventing and reducing stress at work

Line management behaviours identified as effective for preventing and reducing stress at work

Managers also need to think about their management style and behaviour, and how it can either add to the stress their staff experience or help alleviate the problem. Management behaviour is often highlighted as a major factor by those suffering from work related stress.

The HSE, in association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Investors in People, have designed a series of tools to allow managers to assess whether they currently have the behaviours identified as effective for preventing and reducing stress at work; its aim is to help managers reflect on their behaviour and management style.

This simple tool allows for a self-assessment by managers based on their own interpretation of how they behave.

A Line Manager competency tool (180/360 feedback) available on the CIPD website, is designed for managers to ask for feedback from colleagues to provide their impression of the managers behaviour and allow them to hold up a mirror to their views and to understand how their behaviour impacts on the people they manage - it also provides on-line learning materials to help them improve their management style.

The tool contains:

  • Online resources for managers to help them manage their staff in ways that prevent and reduce stress within the team.
  • Learning materials to help HR practitioners to support managers to manage their staff in ways that prevent and reduce stress in their teams.