Staff Wellbeing
Here is a collection of resources for maintaining wellbeing at work. It brings together information from Occupational Health, Personnel Services and People and Organisational Development (which has replaced the Oxford Learning Institute).
Updated 20 October 2023
Faculty strategy on wellbeing and mental health
The Faculty strategy for responding to the wellbeing and mental health needs of its students and employees was introduced in July 2023. The most recent version dates from October 2023.
Links to University resources for wellbeing
This page gives an overview of mental wellbeing. The University has a wide range of excellent resources to help individuals manage mental health problems, as well as resources for managers and teams to help support each other.
Thriving at Oxford
Thriving at Oxford is a new initiative to support staff to feel and perform at their best as part of the University community. You can find information and resources to support yours and others wellbeing as well as wellbeing related news and events.
You can also join the University's Wellbeing Teams Channel to feedback on initiatives or share your own experiences.
Managing stress
Effective stress prevention should be part of your usual workplace behaviour. It is important that you:
- Look after your mental health
- Look after yourself at work e.g. take sufficient breaks during the working day, use your annual leave entitlement, and communicate any problems early.
- Make use of the training available through the University to ensure you have all the skills you need to help you fulfil your role e.g. computer skills, personal development, etc. You may find that a short training session on time management, or how to manage a difficult conversations, could be much more help than you imagine!
- Don't let stress build up. Speak to your line manager or supervisor at an early stage if you feel that you are starting to be adversely affected by stress. If you feel you are becoming unwell speak to your General Practitioner.
Information and resources on managing stress in the workplace for Oxford University employees and their managers and sources of support available both within and outside the University.
Work-related stress - on an HSE webpage, you will find information about the prevention and management of work-related stress.
Confidential counselling is available for University employees experiencing work-attributable problems. Individuals may refer themselves or, with their consent, be referred by their manager or HR Manager to the Occupational Health Service.
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a confidential employee benefit designed to help you deal with your personal and professional problems that could be affecting your home life or work life, health and general wellbeing. The University has partnered with Health Assured to provide this service to all University employees, your partners and dependents.
Helping Yourself
It's important to disconnect properly when on holiday, or even just at the weekend or in the evening, so here is a page of tips to help you step away from work completely when you need to.
The University offers a range of eLearning and self access resources, guides and toolkits, covering areas such as personal organisation, self awareness, and effective working relationships.
There are some suggestions to get you started.
The University of Oxford OHS covers the work carried out by University staff, postgraduate students, and (under contract) certain associated units and external organisations.
The OHS advise on all matters concerning the effects of work on health, and the effects of health on work. They work, to the benefit of both employer and employee, to prevent work-related ill-health by:
- advising on the control of potential health risks at work,
- detecting occupational disease at an early stage, and
- advising on ill-health (work-related or unrelated to work) in the workplace.
Referrals to Occupational Health
University managers sometimes need medical advice to assist in the management of an employee. Common areas of advice include: fitness for work, workplace hazards and risks, fitness to return to work after illness or injury, consideration of ill-health retirement, advice on sickness absence including planning the return to work, whether an illness may be caused or made worse by work, or whether a decline in work performance could be caused, in whole or in part, by ill-health. Occupational Health referrals are often complex and this guide provides advice on making an effective referral.
Links to guidance about online safety and security:
University Information Security Policy
This policy provides a framework for the management of information security throughout the University.
The objectives of the Information Security Policy are to ensure that the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information in the Faculty of Law are preserved. Law Faculty Information Security Policy.
These guidelines outline the standards the University expects its staff members (including visitors and contractors) to observe when using social media or engaging in any form of online interaction, whilst directly or indirectly associated with the University.
Links to guidance on harassment:
Law Faculty Guidance on Harassment
University Policy and Procedure on Harassment
Harassment Procedure fowchart for University Staff
A person subjects another to harassment where they engage in unwanted and unwarranted conduct which has the purpose or effect of:
- violating another person’s dignity, or
- creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for another person
The recipient does not need to have explicitly stated that the behaviour was unwanted.
Online abuse covers a wide range of behaviours and technologies. Abuse happens when someone acts in a way that causes harm and distress to others.
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Any member of staff wishing to find out about eyesight testing for VDU work should refer to the Safety Office guidance.