Organisational stress risk assessment
Read about the University’s stress risk assessment and the outcomes of the risk assessment process.
Assessing the risks of stress
The University is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff. The University has a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it.
This page provides an outline of the approach, process and findings of the assessment and signposts to support for staff. Three supporting documents are available for download, organised in sections below. A related fourth section features at the end of this page.
ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ organisational stress risk assessment
The ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ organisational stress risk assessment follows the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) management standards, which indicate the primary causes of stress-related illness, and is aligned to the HSE’s guidance on tackling work-related stress using the management standards.
Developing the Organisational Stress Risk Assessment [PDF 116.97KB]
Risk assessment process and risk matrix
This risk assessment identifies the significant organisational level risks to staff from work-related stress whilst working on campus and undertaking University operations away from campus.
It does not cover activities such as commuter travelling to and from campus or activities that are not work activities carried out in people’s own time. More detailed risk assessments will be developed for each Faculty, School, Division, Department and Professional Service area as required.
Organisational Stress Risk Assessment Process and Risk Matrix [PDF 159.09KB]
Findings of the organisational level stress risk assessment
This section provides an overview of the findings from the organisational stress risk assessment, showing the current factors impacting work related stress, organisational measures in place to support staff wellbeing and mitigate stressors, and the actions required to reduce work related stress to an acceptable level.
Following a risk-based approach, the three main areas of focus are on change, demands and role. These areas align with the current context of the University in terms of financial challenges, national pressures on the Higher Education Sector, and ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ-specific activities relating to two Voluntary Leavers Schemes (in 2024 and 2025), resulting in reduced staffing and the Collective Consultation impacting some individual, team and service roles.
For a copy of the full risk assessment, email healthsafety@sussex.ac.uk.
Findings of the Organisational Level Stress Risk Assessment [PDF 231.31KB]
Quick guide to current measures and support
The University has several measures in place to mitigate and prevent an increase in work-related stress. The table below provides links to further information on these measures.
In addition to the resources available on the Staff Wellbeing Hub the table below provides links to further support available to staff.
There may be some duplication where a resource is relevant to more than one stress management standard:
| Measures | Support |
|---|---|
| Change: how organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the University. |
Sussex 2035 Strategy in place providing the vision, mission and core activities of the university. Staff are encouraged to get involved in the . Managers’ toolkit includes resources for leaders leading change and a . Workplace adjustment toolkit in place to support managers implementing workplace reasonable adjustments. |
| Demands: this includes issues such as workload, work patterns and the work environment. |
Staff are encouraged to get involved in the . Human Resources schemes in place to support staff to achieve work-life balance, including:
Manager and leader training and online managers’ toolkit available to build an individual’s skills. Staff networks for staff to raise concerns and provide a feedback mechanism. |
| Role: whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the University ensures that they do not have conflicting roles. |
in place to help develop new leaders/managers. Support for new line managers includes , and a . Manager and leader training and online managers toolkit to build an individual’s skills and development programme for leaders and managers. Staff development opportunities through the staff apprentice scheme, staff mentoring programme and job shadowing scheme. |
| Control: how much say the person has in the way they do their work. |
Achievement and development reviews (ADR) Remote working framework to promote hybrid working practices. Human Resources schemes in place to support staff to achieve work-life balance including: Support functions such as Human Resources or Occupational Health. . |
| Support: this includes the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the University, line management and colleagues. |
School/Professional Services Division Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) champions. Staff networks in place to provide staff with an opportunity to meet with colleagues across the University. Learning and development resources and online training/ webinars available to support staff. Online training available for line managers, including (but not limited to) supporting others, the law and wellbeing conversations (e.g. how to support your employee’s wellbeing). Mentoring programme available to share knowledge, skills and experience. Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for confidential support, including counselling and mental health services. Occupational Health support. Support pathways available within an online Staff Wellbeing Hub. Workplace adjustment toolkit in place to support mangers implementing workplace reasonable adjustments for their team. Staff can develop a Wellness Action Plan (WAP) with their manager to identify personal stress triggers and coping strategies. Individual stress risk assessment can be completed to support staff. |
| Relationships: this includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour. |
School/Professional Services Division Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) champions. Manager and leader training and online managers toolkit includes (but is not limited to) coaching skills for managers, giving and receiving feedback, motivating and engaging teams and how to have courageous conversations. Staff networks in place to provide staff with an opportunity to meet with colleagues across the University. tool available to anonymously report concerns. |
| Other organisational risks: national and external challenges for the sector (e.g. student recruitment, regulatory landscape, funding and ongoing engagement with the Office for Students (OfS) following a Freedom of Speech investigation) impacting the University. |
– the first plan to deliver Sussex 2035. Risk management framework in place to identify, prioritise and mitigate risks to the organisation. Regular communications including OfS engagement updates and University collaborations, e.g. . |