Initial Procedures

If you are signed off work due to WRS you are likely to be suffering from a number of symptoms such as high blood pressure, exhaustion, depression, anxiety, etc.  WRS itself is a collective term for the symptoms exhibited and these may not be exactly the same in each individual case.

WRS can happen to anyone, this being well illustrated by a recent report which shows that head teachers with WRS account for 38% of all staff absences.

It is important that your GP 'line/sick note/medical certificate' states specifically that you have WRS if this is the GP's diagnosis.

You should have been completing 'Violence and Aggression' forms or the equivalent (see Appendix 1 below) whilst still at work and you should keep or obtain copies of any such cases of verbal, physical abuse, etc. carried out by pupils, parents, etc.  WRS leading to sick leave may be finally triggered by a significant event, such as a case of indiscipline, therefore a record of such incidents is essential. 

An 'Incident Report Form' or equivalent should also be completed (under the heading of 'Work-related Illness') in co-operation with your school / Local Authority to formally report the 'WRS' incident and its associated symptoms to the 'Health and Safety' personnel and others at your Local Authority Education Department.

The 'Incident Report Form' will state what action the Local Authority / your school will take to work with you to prevent your condition from reoccurring.  You have a responsibility to act upon advice given to you and you must effectively communicate with your employer regarding the conditions which resulted in your 'WRS'.

You should have or you should obtain a copy of the Local Authority and the school policies on 'Work-related Stress'.  Your school's 'Health and Safety Committee' should have produced a school specific policy based on the guidelines issued by the 'Heath and Safety Executive' on WRS.  These policies will set out the agreed procedures that all staff should follow.

It is worth noting that some employers prefer to seek physical causes for illness, rather than facing the possibility that the workplace cultures they have created are so awful that workers' minds mentally refuse to allow them to continue working.

You may come across considerable resistance when it comes to the employer having to tacitly accept that faults exist in order to respond to questions such as 'What action will the school take to prevent your condition from reoccurring?' or completing a 'risk assessment' on your job which may require changes which could place the school senior management / Local Authority in a negative light.

Appendix 1

The use of Violence and Aggression Reporting (V&A) Forms

Aggression and Violence is defined as being:

Verbal abuse; verbal or physical harassment including racial, sexual or on grounds of disability; physical assault or attacks or damage to property.

At present, each local authority has its own 'in house' form, which may place an emphasis on different aspects or may even record different information regarding incidents.  Forms should be easily available as well as being used appropriately and consistently, previously they were known as per.agg. forms.

In this context there are certain important points:

1.  The school's 'referral form' should have a 'prompt box' to help trigger the production of a V&A reporting form.

2.  The school should have a policy on the use of the V&A reporting form.

3.  Senior Managers should actively recommend that the V&A reporting form is completed where appropriate.

4.  Senior managers should follow up V&A reporting forms with appropriate feedback.

5.  Appropriate counselling, risk assessment, time off, etc. should be offered as a result of the V&A suffered.

A facility and provision for 'ime out' should be available immediately following an incident of aggression and violence.

6.  Police should be routinely involved in the more serious incidents.

Note: Criminal Injury Compensation Board claims may be rejected if an incident is not reported.

7.  The attitude of the senior management to staff requesting police involvement should be actively supportive.

8.  Work Related Stress (WRS) is currently a reportable incident if it leads to absence of more than 3 days.

9.  All schools should have a 'Zero Tolerance' type poster in each room to highlight the issues of violence and aggression.

10.  The school should have a H&S Committee, where issues of stress, prevention of V&A, etc. can be brought up.

11.  Members should be encouraged to seek the advice of the Union Representative and inform them of the outcome of V&A incidents.

12.  School Union Representatives should keep a secure file of V&A reporting forms – with the member's permission.

13.  Good practice is for the employer to contact a teacher regarding V&A incidents to offer support etc.

14.  Union HQ should be directly involved with serious incidents.


Updated May 2006