What’s the difference between pressure and Stress?

The Health & Safety Executive defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction a person has to excessive pressure or other types of demands placed upon them’. This makes a distinction between ‘pressure’, which can be a positive state if managed correctly, and ‘stress’ which can be detrimental to health.  

We all experience periods of pressure in life and work, and short periods of pressure are not necessarily of concern. However when pressure is sustained and /or excessive, without the opportunity to recover, this may lead to emotional or physical problems.

It is important to recognise the types of pressures that might contribute to feelings of stress in yourself or others and the signs that all may not be well. Pressures might come from:

Personal life Work life
  • Ill health 
  • Relationships 
  • Family problems 
  • Home environment 
  • Neighbour disputes 
  • Financial difficulties 
  • Lack of control over the way work is done 
  • Too much or  insufficient work 
  • Role conflict or  lack of role definition 
  • Underused skills 
  • Unsatisfactory relationships 
  • Lack of support from colleagues 
  • Lack of feedback 
  • Lack of clarity about expectations 
  • Lack of information 

Recognition of a problem means that appropriate coping mechanisms and support can be sought at an early stage, before negative effects lead to emotional or physical difficulties.  Signs that a person may be having problems can include:

Symptoms Behaviours
  • Constant tiredness 
  • Frequent headaches or other aches and pains 
  • Poor concentration 
  • Loss of confidence 
  • Irritability 
  • Tearfulness 
  • Poor sleep 
  • Indecisiveness 
  • Poor time keeping 
  • Poor performance 
  • Unusual absence 
  • Poor judgement 
  • Inappropriate Humour 
  • Withdrawal 
  • Increase / decrease eating 
  • Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine 

If an employee feels that the stress is related to work pressures Managers must take steps to identify and make reasonable adjustments to manage the pressures. The Trust’s Staff Wellbeing (Stress) Policy sets the standards for preventing and managing stress.

Information for employee’s

It is essential that all employees have an active role in contributing to their own development and the success of the department and the Trust by using the resources available to undertake their role effectively.

In order to minimise the risk of work-related stress, staff must: 

  • Ensure good communication with colleagues and their manager
  • Support colleagues by providing appropriate information and by sharing knowledge and resources where appropriate
  • Engage in discussion about their performance and act on feedback
  • Raise issues of concern at an early stage and seek constructive solutions
  • Make use of the support and training resources available
  • Ensure that bullying and harassment is not tolerated
  • Comply with Trust policies
  • Seek appropriate advice and support at an early stage if difficulties arise

What should you do if you are concerned that you are experiencing stress? 

  1. Don’t wait until things get too difficult to cope with; seek advice and resolutions at an early stage. 
  2. It may be that you just need to talk your problems through with someone, or need practical advice on personal issues such as finance or relationships.  You can obtain support from the following: 
    • Trade Union Representative 
    • EAP can provide emotional support for both work and non-work related issues 
    • Occupational Health can provide advice where there are concerns about the effects of work on health 
    • Health and Safety can provide advice on safe work environment and risk assessment 
    • Care Co-ordinator is available to talk to if your issues relate to carer responsibilities 
    • Dignity at Work Advisers – If you feel like you are suffering from bullying and harassment 
    • Whether the pressures you experience are related to your work or personal life your manager may be able to make temporary or longer term adjustments to your work that might help reduce the pressures. 
    • If you are concerned that work pressures are the cause of the problem, then it is especially important that you let your manager know in order that problems can be addressed 
  3. Talk to your manager 
    • If you do not feel able to talk to your immediate line manager, then consider an alternative 

Information for managers

The Health and Safety Executive has identified six key ‘Management Standards’ that represent a set of conditions that reflect high levels of health, wellbeing and organisational performance.

Role: Whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures that the person does not have conflicting roles

Demands: workload, work patterns, and the work environment

Control: How much say a person has in the way they do their work

Support: The encouragement, support and resources provided by the organisation, line managers and colleagues

Relationships: Promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour

Change: How organisational change is managed and communicated

Managing Stress at Work

It is essential that managers have an active role in facilitating and supporting staff to do their job effectively and to contribute to the success of the department and the Trust. 

In order to minimise the risk of work-related stress, managers must:

  • Ensure good communication particularly where there are organisational and procedural changes 
  • Ensure jobs are designed to avoid conflicting demands and that expectations and the job role are clear
  • Ensure staff are fully trained to undertake the demands of their job and are able to contribute to decisions about how the job is done
  • Ensure there are regular opportunities for feedback on performance e.g. regular ‘one to one’ meetings and team meetings
  • Identify or respond to issues of concern promptly and seek constructive solutions; 
  • Make use of the support and training resources available 
  • Ensure staff are provided with meaningful training and developmental opportunities
  • Ensure that bullying and harassment is not tolerated
  • Be aware of signs of problems and offer additional support to a member of staff who is experiencing stress outside work e.g. bereavement or separation; 
  • Comply with Trust policies
  • Seek appropriate advice and support at an early stage if difficulties arise

What should managers do when an employee reports feelings of stress?

  1. Ensure that you are familiar with the Staff Wellbeing (Stress) Policy 
  2. Arrange a meeting so you can take the time to listen to the employee and note the issues of concern and undertake a risk assessment using the Staff Wellbeing (Stress Policy) 
  3. Seek advice from your HR team 
  4. Ask the employee what changes to the job they think will help 
  5. Agree any short-term changes that can be reasonably implemented and arrange a follow up meeting with the employee to monitor progress 
  6. Ensure that the employee is aware of the support that is available to them 
  7. Consider a referral for Occupational Health advice 
     

Tools for Managers to Assist With Managing Stress

Practical steps managers can take to reduce the risk of work related stress

Demands

Examples of adjustments that you can consider in reducing the pressure associated with demands:

  • Can the task be redesigned? 
  • Can adjustments be made to the working hours or patterns? 
  • Can changes be made to the way resources are managed or allocated? 
  • Can further training be provided? 
  • Can changes be made to the work environment? 

Control

Examples of adjustments that you can consider in reducing the pressure associated with Control:

  • Can the job design be altered to give more control over pace or organisation of the work? 
  • Can adjustments be made to the working hours or patterns? 
  • Are employees encouraged to develop new skills and use initiative? 
  • Can further training be provided? 

Support

Examples of adjustments that you can consider in reducing the pressure associated with support:

  • Are opportunities available to raise and resolve issues e.g. Team meetings, regular ‘one to one’ meetings? 
  • Are systems in place to give and receive regular feedback e.g. Appraisal and one to one meetings? 
  • Do employees know how to access Trust policies and procedures relevant to their concerns? 
  • Do employees know how to access the resources necessary to do their job? 
  • Can further training be provided? 
  • Do employees know how to access support systems provided by the Trust e.g.  Employee Assistance Programme, Unions, Dignity at Work Advisers, Care Co-ordinator? 

Relationships

Examples of adjustments that you can consider in reducing the pressure associated with Relationships:

  • Are opportunities available to raise and resolve issues e.g. Team meetings, regular ‘one to one’ meetings? 
  • Is conflict identified and addressed at an early stage? 
  • Do employees know how to access Trust policies and procedures relevant to their concerns? 
  • Do employees know how to access support systems provided by the Trust e.g.  Employee Assistance Programme, Unions, Dignity at Work Advisers, Care Co-ordinator? 

Role

Examples of adjustments that you can consider in reducing the pressure associated with Role:

  • Are opportunities available to raise and resolve issues e.g. Team meetings, regular ‘one to one’ meetings? 
  • Can the job design be altered to provide better role clarity and ensure conflicting demands are minimised? 
  • Are systems in place to clarify expectations? 
  • Are systems in place to give and receive regular feedback e.g. Appraisal and one to one meetings? 

Change

  • Are employees consulted on proposed changes in a timely manner where possible? 
  • Are employees provided with further information to help understand the reasons for change, if required? 
  • Are systems in place to provide employees with information on the probable impact of change on their jobs? 
  • Are systems in place to make employees aware of timescales for change? 
  • Can further training be provided? 
  • Do employees know how to access support systems provided by the Trust e.g.  Employee Assistance Programme, Unions, Dignity at Work Advisers, Care Co-ordinator? 

Useful documents

We are currently working on finalising a new Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy, which will go to Policy Committee for ratification in August.  In the meantimeyou can find helpful information here - Work related stress - Tools and templates (hse.gov.uk)

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