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Wellbeing
Employee wellbeing policy
Introduction
Bath Spa University is committed to providing a safe, healthy and environmentally friendly workplace for all its employees. The University recognises that this duty extends to employee wellbeing and that this includes stress and mental ill health at work.
The University's aim is to achieve employee wellbeing through a supported culture, providing relevant training to help managers and employees develop healthy working practices and to understand and recognise any causes of workplace stress. In doing so, the University recognises the benefits of wellbeing and that these are an essential part of its strategic objective to recruit and retain the highest quality staff.
The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) definition of stress is, 'The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them'. The University accepts that, whilst a degree of stress can motivate employees, excessive pressures can have a negative effect on wellbeing and on work performance. The pressures can be either work or personal and to manage work place stress, the importance of personal and domestic problems must be recognised. Sometimes it is difficult to be certain where these start, as difficulties at work may make a personal problem more acute and vice versa. A key objective is to ensure that all managers are trained to help employees who feel their wellbeing is being adversely affected.
Principles
1. This policy applies to all employees
2. This policy has the endorsement of the recognised Trade Unions, the full support of the Vice-Chancellor and the approval of the Board of Governors
3. The University's Safety Health and Environment Committee has responsibility for advising the Vice-Chancellor on the following:
- Implementation of the policy
- Promotion of employee wellbeing within the workplace
- Encouragement of healthy working practices
- Analysis and promotion of measures to reduce work related stress
- The University recognises the importance of confidentiality and is committed to balance this with its legal and managerial responsibility and its obligation to protect the wellbeing and safety of employees. This will include identifying hazards and assessing mental and physical risks to health and safety with the objective of reducing them, so far as is reasonably practicable
4. The University will:
- provide appropriate training for managers to obtain the skills and knowledge to implement this policy in a fair, sensitive and effective manner
- aim to provide suitable support for all employees whose wellbeing is affected by their work or, to any extent that is reasonable external factors
5. Line managers will ensure:
- Appropriate behaviour in the workplace is encouraged and that bullying and harassment is identified, reported and addressed under existing procedures
- Staff attend training on positive management practice, health and safety and stress awareness
- Good communication is maintained with all employees particularly when there are changes to organisation or procedure
- Employees are fully aware of their duties and line management responsibilities
- Work related stress is identified, monitored and controlled. This includes the preparation of risk assessments and the implementation of recommendations
- Support is offered to employees whose wellbeing is affected by either work or external factors
6. Human Resources will:
- Coach and advise managers about this policy
- Coach line managers to develop a plan for employees whose wellbeing is being affected either at work or who are returning to work following stress related sickness absence
- Refer employees to counsellors, specialist agencies and/or Occupational Health as appropriate
- Analyse stress related sickness absences to identify patterns and trends
7. Employees will retain primary responsibility for:
- Their own health and wellbeing
- Taking reasonable care of themselves
- Reporting perceived workplace stress or any aspects of their work or working environment that is affecting their health to their line manager
If, for whatever reason, staff feel that their problems are not being addressed, they should speak to Human Resources or to their Trade Union representative.
December 2008