Join us for Five Days of Working Well

Across the week of 15^th April, join Workplace Health for five days of ‘Working Well’ to support effective stress management in the workplace, including stress briefings for staff and managers and evidence-based mindfulness sessions for managing stress.

View the full week of events

Addressing workplace stress at UCL

As an institution

Across the UK, stress is one of the largest health concerns and UCL is not immune to this growing health epidemic. In 2023, stress-related leave (work and non-work related) was reported the second largest contributing factor for all sickness absence at UCL, behind ‘Cough, Cold, Flu – Influenza'.  

Mitigating the risk of work-related stress at UCL is essential to keep our staff mentally well. In December 2022, UCL was one of the first five institutions to be appointed the University Mental Health Charter. The recommendations from Student Minds highlighted the need to support the whole community through a proactive and preventative approach. Addressing stress at UCL requires us all to be committed to implementing practices that allow our staff to be well at work.  

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of having sustainable working practices, and UCL developed a guide to working safely remotely during the pandemic. Now more than ever, it is important to continue to adopt these good working practices for a healthier and safer community by Working Smarter by Protecting Time for Work. 

One significant contributor to stress is workload which UCL is actively tackling through an institution-wide workload project. This work will focus on engaging with academic and professional services colleagues to understand and identify the key causes of workload pressure and explore ways of facilitating solutions to support leaders and staff in managing and mitigating workload.

As colleagues

When juggling multiple priorities, finding time to reflect on how we work may feel challenging. However, taking steps to address stress in the early stages and getting the right support when needed, is key to prevent it from becoming unsustainable.

This Stress Awareness Month, we invite you to familiarise and refresh your knowledge of the following:

• Managing Stress at Work policy
• Manager's guide – better equip yourself to support your staff and ensure a safe working environment is provided for employees (HSE).
• Staff guide – learn about how to seek support from your manager and/or HR Business Partner.

Take part in Workplace Health’s five days of Working Well - sign up below

Events and activities schedule  

Wednesday 10 April 12.30 - 1.15pm

Health and Wellbeing Community of Practice – Managing work-related stress: supporting the supporter

Join a featured workshop with Sally Belcher, Head of Workplace Wellbeing, who will take you through steps to manage work-related stress.   

This online session will cover the importance of spotting the early signs of stress in ourselves and others. To enable you to be well at work, we will explore the guidance and materials available to staff and managers as well as useful frameworks. 

Sign up link here  

Monday 15 April 12.00 - 12.30pm 

Mindful Monday with Victoria Abbott

Start the Working Well week as you intend to go on and tune into your wellbeing this Mindful Monday with an online, evidence-based mindfulness session.

Sign up for Mindful Monday

Tuesday 16 April 12.30 - 1.00pm 

Mindfulness with Dr Olga Zubko 

An online, bespoke mindfulness workshop (as part of our year-long programme) as an evidence-based stress management technique with an introduction from Workplace Health about the science of mindfulness.

Sign up to Mindfulness with Dr Olga Zubko

• Recognising signs and symptoms of stress
• Your role and responsibility as a manager (Managing Stress at Work policy)
• How to support your staff step-by-step (includes Stress Risk Assessment process)
• Supporting yourself
• Sign up to the Stress Briefing for Managers

Wednesday 17 April 12.00 - 12.50pm 

Stress Briefing for Managers: Supporting your Staff

Understand your legal responsibility to minimise the risk of work-related stress and access toolkits and guidance to support you to do so.

Topics covered:

• Recognising the signs and symptoms of stress
• Your role and responsibility as a manager (Managing Stress at Work policy)
• How to support your staff step-by-step (includes Stress Risk Assessment process)
• Supporting yourself

Sign up to the Stress Briefing for Managers

Thursday 18 April 12.00 - 12.50pm 

Stress Briefing for Staff: How to Seek Support

Learn about the signs and symptoms of stress, how to raise it an early stage, and where to access UCL resources and support.  

Topics covered:

• Recognising signs and symptoms of stress
• How and when to seek support (Managing Stress at Work policy)
• Step-by-step process (Staff guide for managing and reducing stress, includes Stress Risk Assessment process)
• Supporting yourself and others

Sign up to the Stress Briefing for Staff

Further information and support

• Don’t forget to reach out to your local peer support network, the Wellbeing Champions for centralised and local support and activities.
• For Stress Awareness Month, the Stress Management Society is emphasising how even the smallest steps taken each day towards self-care and stress reduction can yield significant improvements in mental health over time.

Being Well at UCL: Healthy Work resources

• Workplace Health resources for managing work-related stress – includes internal and external support resources
• Resources to support your work environment – guidance, facilities and systems that can support you in the workplace
• Resources for managers to support wellbeing in your team – includes training courses, supporting employees with health concerns, and support for emotional and mental health

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