How to Complete a Stress Risk Assessment in Six Stages

Before beginning, be clear about the purpose and scope of the assessment.

You may be assessing:

• The whole organisation
• A department, location or team
• A particular role or group of employees
• An area affected by organisational change
• A concern raised by several employees
• Working practices that may be contributing to stress

You should also decide who will lead the assessment and who needs to be involved.

In a small organisation, this may be the owner, a senior manager or the person responsible for health and safety. Larger organisations may need input from HR, health and safety, managers, employee representatives and senior leaders.

Preparing properly helps make sure the assessment has a clear purpose, employees understand what is happening and someone has responsibility for taking the process forward.

What to do

• Agree what the assessment will cover
• Appoint someone to lead the process
• Decide who needs to contribute
• Set a realistic timetable
• Plan how employees will be informed
• Decide how employee feedback will be gathered
• Confirm who can approve actions and resources
• What to record

Keep a simple record of:

• The scope of the assessment
• The person responsible for leading it
• Who will be involved or consulted
• The proposed timescale
• How employees were informed
• Any decisions made before the assessment began
• Common mistake

Starting with a questionnaire before deciding what the assessment covers or how the findings will be used.

A survey can help gather information, but it should form part of a wider assessment process.

Consider what aspects of work could cause harm

A stress risk assessment should focus on working conditions and organisational factors that could contribute to work-related stress.

The HSE Management Standards identify six main areas of work design:

Demands

This includes workload, working hours, work patterns and the working environment.

Control

This considers how much influence employees have over the way they carry out their work.

Support

This includes the information, resources, encouragement and practical support available from managers and colleagues.

Relationships

This covers positive working relationships, acceptable behaviour and how conflict, bullying and harassment are managed.

Role

This considers whether employees understand their responsibilities, priorities and how their role fits within the organisation.

Change

This covers how workplace changes are planned, managed and communicated.

The six standards provide a useful framework, but you should also consider factors that are specific to your organisation.

These may include:

• Staffing shortages
• Regular overtime
• Shift work
• Lone working
• Remote or hybrid working
• Customer aggression
• Emotionally demanding work
• Unclear priorities
• Poorly managed restructuring
• Inadequate training or equipment
• Job insecurity
• Limited management support
• Review the information you already hold

You need enough information to understand where risks may exist and who may be affected.

Useful sources may include:

• Employee survey responses
• Sickness absence patterns
• Staff turnover
• Exit interview feedback
• Grievances or complaints
• Overtime and working-hour records
• Vacancies and staffing shortages
• Concerns raised in meetings
• Feedback from managers
• Workplace incidents
• Previous risk assessments
• Changes to roles, systems or structures

It is usually better to consider several sources rather than relying on one figure, one complaint or one survey result.

Smaller organisations may not need to run a large survey. Team discussions, one-to-one feedback and existing workplace information may provide a more proportionate way to identify risks.

Look for patterns and groups

The purpose is not to decide which employees are more able to cope with pressure.

Instead, consider:

• Which parts of work may be creating sustained pressure
• Whether concerns affect particular roles, teams or locations
• Whether the same issue has been raised more than once
• Whether existing controls appear to be working
• Whether further information is needed
• Whether a concern may indicate a wider organisational problem
• What to do
• Review each of the six Management Standards
• Consider additional risks specific to your workplace
• Review information already held by the organisation
• Look for repeated themes or patterns
• Compare information from different sources
• Consider which groups or roles may be affected
• Identify areas requiring further discussion
• Use an employee assessment or survey where appropriate
• What to record

Keep a record of:

• The risk factors considered
• The information reviewed
• When the information was reviewed
• The main themes identified
• Teams, roles or groups potentially affected
• Existing concerns known to the organisation
• Areas where more information is needed
• Any limits or gaps in the available information

Take care when recording personal or sensitive information. The organisational assessment should normally focus on workplace risks, themes and affected groups rather than unnecessary personal details.

Common mistake

Completing an employee survey and treating the results as the finished risk assessment.

A survey may help identify where concerns exist, but the findings still need to be explored, evaluated and turned into practical action.

Workplace information may show that a problem exists, but it may not explain what is causing it or what would improve the situation.

Employees often have the clearest understanding of:

• How work is carried out in practice
• Where pressure is building
• Which processes are creating difficulties
• Why existing controls are not working
• Whether concerns affect one team or several
• What practical improvements may help

Consultation may take place through:

• Employee surveys
• Team discussions
• Focus groups
• One-to-one conversations
• Employee representatives
• Trade union representatives
• Health and safety meetings
• Existing staff forums

The method should be proportionate to the size and structure of the organisation.

Employees should understand:

• Why the assessment is being completed
• How their feedback will be used
• How confidentiality will be managed
• What will happen after they contribute
• How they will be updated
• Questions you may ask
• Which parts of the work create the most sustained pressure?
• When are these pressures most likely to occur?
• Which roles or groups appear to be most affected?
• What is already helping?
• What is not working?
• What practical changes could help manage the risk?
• How would employees know that the situation had improved?

Avoid asking employees to diagnose themselves or provide medical information that is not needed for the assessment.

What to do

• Choose a suitable method of consultation
• Include a representative range of employees
• Explain the purpose of the discussion
• Explore the causes behind the information gathered
• Ask employees about existing controls
• Discuss possible improvements
• Identify concerns requiring separate or urgent attention
• Explain how employees will be updated
• What to record

Record:

• How employees were consulted
• The groups or roles represented
• The main workplace themes raised
• Existing controls discussed
• Suggested improvements
• Areas requiring further investigation
• How confidentiality was managed
• How and when employees will receive an update

Where an employee raises an individual health concern, grievance or allegation, it may need to be handled through a separate and appropriate process.

Common mistake

Asking employees for feedback and then failing to tell them what happened next.

A lack of communication can reduce trust and make employees less likely to contribute honestly in future.

Once you understand the concerns, consider the potential for harm and whether current arrangements are managing the risk effectively.

Existing controls may include:

• Workload planning
• Clear roles and responsibilities
• Regular supervision
• Training
• Flexible working arrangements
• Staffing cover
• Change communication
• Procedures for raising concerns
• Management support
• Access to occupational health or employee support

Do not assume a control is effective simply because it exists.

For example, an organisation may have a workload policy, but employees may still be working excessive hours. Managers may hold regular meetings, but employees may not feel able to raise concerns.

Decide what needs to change

Actions should address the workplace cause where reasonably possible.

Possible actions may include:

• Reviewing workloads or deadlines
• Clarifying priorities
• Increasing staffing or temporary support
• Improving role descriptions
• Providing managers with further guidance
• Changing how work is allocated
• Improving communication during change
• Reviewing working hours or shift patterns
• Strengthening processes for raising concerns
• Giving employees greater input into how work is completed
• Addressing unacceptable behaviour or conflict

Support services can be valuable, but they should not be used as a substitute for managing avoidable workplace causes.

Prioritise action

Consider:

• The potential seriousness of the harm
• How many people may be affected
• How often the issue occurs
• Whether the concern is becoming worse
• Whether immediate temporary action is needed
• What can reasonably be changed
• What resources are required
• How quickly the action can be completed

Some actions may be completed quickly. Others may need to be introduced gradually or included within a wider organisational plan.

What to do

• Review the concerns identified
• Consider who may be affected
• Examine the controls already in place
• Decide whether those controls are working
• Identify gaps
• Agree practical further action
• Prioritise actions
• Involve the people who will implement or be affected by the changes
• What to record

Record:

• The hazards or concerns identified
• Who may be affected
• Existing controls
• Whether existing controls are effective
• Further action required
• The reason each action has been chosen
• The priority given to each action
• Any immediate temporary measures
• Common mistake

Offering wellbeing resources without addressing the working conditions causing the concern.

Support after someone has been affected is not the same as preventing or reducing a workplace risk.

The assessment should lead to a practical action plan.

Each action should clearly state:

• What will be done
• Why it is needed
• Who is responsible
• What priority it has
• When it should be completed
• What resources are needed
• How progress will be checked
• How the outcome will be reviewed

Avoid vague actions such as:

• Improve communication
• Monitor workload
• Support staff better
• Provide more training

These do not explain what will change or who is responsible.

A clearer action would be:

Department managers will review workload and priorities with their teams every fortnight for the next three months. Concerns and agreed changes will be recorded and reviewed by the operations manager.

Communicate what will happen

Employees should be told:

• What the assessment identified
• Which concerns are being addressed
• What action has been agreed
• Who is responsible
• When changes are expected
• When progress will be reviewed
• How they can provide further feedback

You may not be able to implement every suggestion. Where an action is not possible, explain the decision where appropriate and consider whether another measure could help manage the risk.

Put the plan into action

The assessment should not remain as a document that is completed and filed away.

Action owners should understand:

• What they are responsible for
• When the action is due
• What evidence should be retained
• Who they should update
• What to do if the action cannot be completed as planned
• What to do
• Write clear and specific actions
• Assign an owner to every action
• Set realistic target dates
• Identify any resources needed
• Communicate the findings and plan
• Keep evidence of completed actions
• Record delays, changes or barriers
• Set review dates
• What to record

Keep:

• The completed assessment
• The action plan
• Named action owners
• Priorities and target dates
• Notes of relevant decisions
• Communications sent to employees
• Evidence of actions completed
• Supporting documents
• Changes made to the original plan
• Common mistake

Recording that an action is complete without deciding how its effectiveness will be checked.

Completion shows that something was done. It does not show that the risk was reduced or managed.

Review the action plan regularly to confirm that agreed actions are being completed.

This may include checking:

• Whether meetings have taken place
• Whether workloads were reviewed
• Whether additional support was provided
• Whether new processes were introduced
• Whether employees received updates
• Whether action owners met their deadlines

Progress should be recorded rather than relying only on informal updates.

Check whether the actions worked

Monitoring whether an action was completed and reviewing whether it worked are two different things.

For example:

Delivering manager training confirms that the training happened.

Reviewing employee feedback helps determine whether management support improved.

You may need to:

• Speak to affected employees
• Repeat relevant assessment questions
• Review absence or turnover patterns
• Hold follow-up discussions
• Check whether concerns are still being raised
• Consider whether the issue has moved elsewhere
• Agree further action
• Update the assessment when needed

There is no single review period suitable for every organisation.

Review the assessment:

• At the dates set in the action plan
• After actions have had enough time to take effect
• When working practices change
• Following restructuring or organisational change
• When new roles, systems or locations are introduced
• When concerns are raised
• Where absence or turnover patterns change
• When there is reason to believe existing controls are no longer effective

Stress risk assessment should be treated as an ongoing process rather than something completed once and forgotten.

What to do

• Check progress against every action
• Confirm whether actions were completed
• Gather feedback from affected employees
• Consider whether the risk has reduced
• Record any further concerns
• Add or amend actions where needed
• Update the assessment following significant change
• Close actions only when there is a clear reason to do so
• What to record

Record:

• Progress against each action
• Actions completed
• Review dates
• Feedback received
• Whether each action was effective
• Further action required
• Updates made to the assessment
• Reasons for closing an action
• The next review date
• Common mistake

Closing the assessment because every action has been marked as complete.

The important question is not only whether the action happened, but whether it helped manage the risk.