What are the main causes of work-related stress?

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Work-related stress is

“a harmful reaction that people have as a result of undue pressures and demands placed on them at work.”

It has a major impact on mental health and is often beyond the control of the individual who is suffering.

Work-related stress is unlikely to be due to one isolated factor as there are usually a variety of influences and pressures.

The HSE has identified six main factors that contribute to work-related stress.

One. Demands

What demands are placed on you? For example, do you have to manage large volumes of marking or attend regular after-school meetings?

Two. Control

How much control do you have over your role? For example, do you have an input into your timetable, and can you control requests for data and how quickly you need to respond?

Three. Support

How much support do you get? For example, are the senior leadership team supportive in managing classroom behaviour, and do you feel able to ask your colleagues if you need help?

Four. Relationships

How good are the relationships that you have at school? For example, do people share ideas and information, and are unacceptable behaviours such as bullying dealt with?

Five. Role

How do you see your role and responsibilities? For example, are expectations made clear to you, and do you have opportunities to discuss concerns or uncertainties?

Six. Change

Are you involved with changes that take place? For example, are you given information about policies and do you get the opportunity to influence decisions?

Manage your own wellbeing

Think about what causes you to feel stressed. There are some things that create stress specifically in schools. What can you do to reduce that stress? And what can be done within the school? Our new course can help.

Can you help reduce stress at your school? Our online training course will show you how to embed a culture of wellbeing

Find out more >>

Staff Wellbeing in Schools online training course

This information is included in our new course on Staff Wellbeing in Schools which has been released to mirror Ofsted’s updated inspection framework.

The course looks at the above six key areas in detail and provides examples of various scenarios that show the difference that SLT can make to support staff wellbeing across a school.

The course costs £18.50 to buy online or is included in our cost-effective safeguarding and duty of care training package

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Supporting Staff Wellbeing in Schools Online Course

Staff wellbeing is of critical importance to schools, and whether you want to focus on your own wellbeing or are looking out for your colleagues, you will find information, guidance and support in this course. It considers the meaning of wellbeing, its impact on individuals and the workplace, common mental health issues and the causes of work-related stress. The course also explores what positive staff wellbeing means in practice, and how you can help to create it for yourself and your school.