Understanding stress at work

Stress at work is a hot topic in our 24/7 world. Are we all more stressed than we used to be? What should managers do to support staff showing signs of stress? Why are some more stressed than others? This course offers insights into the many factors affecting stress at work and will help managers understand the role and responsibility they have in recognising and supporting staff who are feeling stressed.

The course will be of benefit to:

• first-line managers directly responsible for others at work
• professional staff interested in or concerned about work-related stress
• senior and middle managers responsible for organisational stress management policies.

What you will study

During the course you will work at your own pace. The study materials will help you to consider the context in which stress at work occurs, and how to take action to reduce stress – both in relation to yourself and those you manage. Activities throughout enable you to relate your learning to your own work situation, and to complete a final work-based activity to improve the management of stress at whatever level in the organisation is appropriate.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• understand how stress is defined
• demonstrate awareness of the legal requirements related to stress management in the workplace
• identify the behavioural, physical and psychological symptoms of stress
• identify a range of potential causes of stress at work
• understand the potential effect of stress on performance at work
• understand the different approaches to managing productivity and stress
• select appropriate approaches to stress in your organisation
• plan further development in managing stress in the workplace.

The strong link between course learning and your work practice creates relevant, enduring and transferable outcomes. It requires no more than 30 hours of your time in total, over whatever period suits you. But the learning is far richer than more expensive one- to three-day workshops. Register online today and start tomorrow – no need to wait!

The course features the distinctive strengths of The Open University from its years of expertise in work-based learning:

• The convenience of accessing its clearly presented and sequenced materials, activities and support whenever suits you and wherever you have access to the dedicated website – if you prefer, you can print key materials to work on them offline.
• The support of an expert learning adviser who can clarify study materials, answer questions and help you relate the course to your specific needs.
• A work-based activity helps you to connect the course to your individual and organisational context and needs. This is built up from short activities during the course, leading to a Personal Development Plan. At the end of the course you send this to the learning adviser, who provides personal feedback.
• Certification of completion from the OU for those who complete the course. You can use this to demonstrate your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity to your employer and/or professional body. (N.B. The course does not carry academic credit points.)

Entry

Although there are no formal academic requirements to study any of our CPD courses, you are expected to have some experience in the field and the course assumes a familiarity with the subject.

For each course you can register and begin at any time during the life of the course. You can study at your own pace and submit your work-based activity at any date before the final submission date for the course. Information about the final submission date is available when you register for the course.

If you have a disability

The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to talk to the Student Registration and Enquiry Service about support which can be given to meet your needs. If you are a new learner with the OU, make sure that you look at our website.

Study materials

What's included

All learning materials, exercises, study support and work-based activity are delivered entirely online.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course as it includes online activities, which you can access using a web browser.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2007 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
• If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
• If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.6 or later.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Learner support

Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you direct within 24 hours. Other support is available via the GB009 forum, library, StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.

Work-based activity

The work-based activity for this course involves the preparation of a plan to improve the management of stress in your own workplace. Submitted at the end of the course this will allow you to reflect on your learning and how to use it in your professional work.

Professional recognition

Successful completion of the course enables us to recognise your achievement of the course learning by issuing an OU certificate, which you can use to document your commitment to continuing professional development in your personal portfolio, or to provide evidence to employers or a professional body.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Exploring history: medieval to modern 1400-1900 (A200)
• The arts past and present (AA100)
• Living in a globalised world (DD205)
• The environmental web (U316)

Your questions

Try our frequently asked questions.

Come and meet us at an event near you.

Or contact an adviser by Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90 +44(0) 845 366 60 35

Employers' questions

Contact Corporate Enquiries
Visit our website for employers or Email us