Work-related stress is extremely prevalent within the teaching profession and can lead to health problems such as depression, anxiety and insomnia.
According to the 2024 Teacher Wellbeing Index published by Education Support UK, more than three-quarters of the staff surveyed report mental health symptoms linked to their work, including high levels of anxiety, depression, stress and burn-out. This includes teachers, teaching assistants and school leaders.
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that stress is an individual problem. In reality, work-related stress is everyone’s concern. Anyone could be next to feel the effects of occupational stress.
NEU stress survey - 2024/2025
The NEU stress survey is designed to work at the individual school/college level as a means of identifying workplace stressors amongst NEU members. Workplace stress is a very real and critical issue for educators today. This report drills down into the heart of the problem – the lack of time to get work done, the disruptive and violent behaviour from students, the lack of support staff, the absence of consultation when changes are made, the massive pressures of Ofsted, the inability to get a break during the school day – the list goes on.
NEU stress survey report 2024-2025
What is stress, and how does it affect us?
The HSE defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them’. It is not a disease, but it is recognised that excessive or prolonged stress can be a cause of mental and physical illness, including burnout, anxiety or depression.
These conditions can significantly impact an individual's motivation, productivity, and overall quality of life. Physical harms can also arise from work-related stress, such as cardiovascular disorders and musculoskeletal disorders.
Which barriers are you likely to face at work?
Stress and anxiety are likely to affect all areas of your practice because of the overriding effect of extreme tiredness and poor motivation.
Some of the well-known symptoms of stress and anxiety are:
- Unexpected attacks of heart-pounding panic;
- Trouble concentrating;
- Irritability;
- Restlessness;
- Stomach upset and dizziness;
- Frequent urination or diarrhoea;
- Shortness of breath;
- Headaches;
- Fatigue;
- Insomnia; and
- Muscle tension.
What can be done to tackle work-related stress in schools and colleges?
All employers should have a policy on workplace stress; see the NEU model stress policy. Reps and safety reps can encourage employers to adopt.
- First, discover the scale of the problem using our stress survey form. Once members have completed the survey, the findings are emailed to the rep.
- Following a meeting with members, the rep can then share the findings with management and discuss how to address the areas most in need of remediation using our stress risk assessment tool.
- Employers have a specific legal duty to undertake risk assessments that seek to identify and eliminate or reduce risks to their employees’ health, safety and welfare.
Mental health conditions are common, so no one should feel isolated or stigmatised for seeking help. Early intervention is recognised as facilitating recovery, so if there are signs of a developing mental health condition, consider seeking help at the earliest opportunity.
Employees with mental health conditions may be classed as disabled under the Equality Act 2010, and if this is the case, employers have duties to make ‘reasonable adjustments’.
What kind of adjustments may be considered?
- Flexible approach to start/finish times;
- Paid or unpaid leave for medical appointments;
- Phased return to work;
- Regular breaks at work;
- Home working;
- Temporary reallocation of some tasks;
- Support with prioritising work;
- Focus on a project or specific piece of work;
- Job sharing;
- Job coach/buddy/mentor;
- Increased personal space;
- Quiet space; and
- Reserved parking space.
Online stress and violence survey
The NEU provides online stress and violence surveys to help local officers and reps gather evidence on stress and violence levels in schools. These surveys are designed to identify the causes and impacts of such issues. The collected data can be used as evidence for school management when considering industrial action.
If you would like to share a survey with members of your school, please complete the request form, specifying whether you need a stress survey or a violence survey.
Please email the completed form to: healthandsafety@neu.org.uk. Ensure your school has a stress model policy.