Wellbeing at Work - Guidance for Managers

Learn about the potential signs so you can recognise potential wellbeing issues:

• Physical signs for example, General aches and pains, headaches, sleeping problems.
• Cognitive signs  for example, Constant worry, forgetfulness, decision making, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humour.
• Emotional signs for example, anxiety, anger, mood swings, Irritability, frustration.

See What is Stress? for more information and there are more resources to support you in Staff Learning.

• Try to have regular opportunities to catch up and connect with individuals - this is particularly important when people are working remotely.
• Have regular conversations with team members about wellbeing - not just when they appear to be struggling.
• Use openers such as 'I’ve noticed you haven’t seemed yourself lately – how are you?' and 'I know there’s a lot going on at the moment – how are you finding things?'
• Make sure you check in again at a later date to see how things are going.
• Know your boundaries - you don’t need to have all the answers and you shouldn't try to project solutions onto people.  The University has resources available that you can signpost individuals towards.  
• Know where you can signpost individuals if necessary - see 'Support for you as a line manager' below for more information.

If your regular interactions with your team highlight a potential wellbeing concern, you need to know the next steps to support them.

The Actions to Support Staff section of the Stress Management webpages provides guidance, including the Individual Stress Risk Assessment process.

Workshops and e-learning aimed at line managers covering a range of subjects, from Mental Health to Stress Management, are also available in the Wellbeing and Personal Resources section of Staff Learning. Ensuring that you have a good understanding of these areas before you need them will benefit both you and your team. 

You also need to know where you can signpost individuals if necessary - see ‘Resources to Support Staff' below for more information.

Prevention is better than a cure. See the Reducing Stress in the Workplace – A Guide for Managers for more information on the steps you can take.

There is also e-learning available to ‘Create Good Days at Work’ as part of our wider stress management offer for line managers in Staff Learning.

• Show vulnerability – managers get stressed too!
• Start and encourage wellbeing dialogue at team meetings.
• Be clear on the importance of work / life boundaries – and demonstrate your own.
• Demonstrate positive and healthy wellbeing behaviours.
• Create space for wellbeing activities – support flexible working practices.
• Think about when and what you communicate – what impact might this have on the team.

You can find out more about how your leadership style might impact the wellbeing of individuals in your team by completing the psychometric that is included in the Good Days at Work - Your Role e-learning available in Staff Learning.

The employee assistance programme (EAP) is designed to help team members deal with personal and professional problems which could be affecting their home or work life, health and general wellbeing.   

As a manager, you can access additional guidance and information to support to support you in your managerial role. This includes a management helpline staffed by trained advisors who can support and coach managers with a range of issues including stress management.

Occupational Health (OH) is a medical speciality that is concerned with the effects of health on work and work on health while considering an individual’s health, ability and fitness to perform certain jobs/workplace tasks.

The University’s Occupational Health Services is an advisory service aimed at supporting people in the workplace, looking at both physical and mental aspects of employee health. Managers can refer individuals for assessment where there is concern that a health problem may be affecting attendance, performance or safety. For more information see the OH Information for Line Managers.

There are various workshops and e-learning available in the Wellbeing and Personal Resources section of Staff Learning. Some of these are aimed specifically at supporting line managers including content relating to Stress Management and Mental Health.

As a manager you have the primary responsibility for managing day-to-day sickness absence in your team in line with policy on Managing absence from work due to ill-health. However, part of the role of the University’s People Managers is workplace wellbeing support which involves providing advice and support to managers should you have more significant concerns. They can also advise on Occupational Health referrals.

There are specific resources available for staff relating to personal stress management, including the What is Stress? and Tips for Managing Personal Stress webpages.  

There are also extensive resources available in the Stress Management area in Staff Learning including e-learning on participating in an Individual Stress Risk Assessment.

The following resources are available to staff who may be experiencing issues with their mental health:

• Mental Health First Aiders The University has a network of qualified Mental Health First Aiders.  Mental Health First Aiders are trained to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.  
• The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) can provide direct support to an individual, including counselling.
• NHS Talking Therapies service for Oxfordshire.

Relevant workshops and e-learning resources relating to mental health can be found in the dedicated Mental Health area in the Staff Learning Portal. 

In addition to providing emotional support and counselling the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) also includes practical guidance across a range of areas including financial, legal, tenancy and housing, family and care.  This can be accessed via the confidential helpline and there are resources available via the online portal.

If team members are experiencing difficulties relating to their financial situation as well as the EAP the University provides access to Financial coaching as well as the Staff Assistance Fund.

As a line manager you can help to signpost individuals towards these resources.

In the context of wellbeing, personal resources refer to the internal characteristics, strengths, and assets we have as individuals which contribute to our ability to adjust to, and cope with, adverse situations and effectively recover back to a place of wellbeing.

Activity to strengthen personal resources and resilience should sit alongside effective approaches to proactively limit stress in the workplace.  

There are resources available to support people in building these personal resources. The Strengthening Personal Resources web page includes an i-resilience tool and the Wellbeing and Personal Resources area in Staff Learning has a dedicated section on Strengthening personal resilience.