Tackling Stress in Education | practical advice to prevent legal pitfalls

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Education staff across the UK are grappling with unprecedented levels of stress. From unmanageable workloads and inspection demands to staffing shortages and limited resources, the pressures placed on people in the profession are escalating – and so are the consequences.

Join us for a free one-hour webinar to understand the legal landscape, the risks, and proactive ways to manage stress in education.

21 May, 9.30 am - 10.30 am

Is your school or Trust prepared to manage the growing stress crisis?

The Teacher Wellbeing Index 2024 revealed that 78% of education professionals experienced work-related stress, with 40% of senior leaders showing signs of burnout. What’s more, 95% of headteachers reported being stressed, and a growing number are leaving the profession entirely.

This is more than just a workforce challenge. Failing to act can lead to serious legal, operational and reputational risks for schools and trusts. Are you doing enough to protect your people – and your organisation?

What's on the agenda?

Join WorkNest’s education experts, Head of Team and Solicitor Jane Hallas and Regional Health & Safety Manager Maria Leonard, for practical insights into:

  • Legal duties and liability – what every school leader needs to know
    Understand your legal duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. 
  • Constructive dismissal – when stress leads to resignation
    Learn how poor stress management can lead to constructive unfair dismissal claims and what constitutes a breach of trust and confidence in an education setting.
  • Stress, disability and discrimination – navigating the Equality Act in schools
    Discover how chronic stress can be classified as a disability, your duty to make reasonable adjustments, and how to reduce the risk of discrimination claims.
  • Legal risk in leadership – liability and Employment Tribunal trends
    Explore how poor leadership behaviour, toxic cultures, and excessive workloads are scrutinised in Tribunal decisions — and what you can do to protect your school or Trust.

Why does it matter?

  • Tribunal cases are rising: From Barber v Somerset County Council to the 2025 Smith v Wetherby School case, schools are under increasing scrutiny for failing to manage stress appropriately.
  • There are real consequences: Burnout affects performance, leading to resignations, disruption to education, reputational damage, and potentially expensive litigation.

Can't attend live?

Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording and a free follow-up toolkit containing practical resources for managing workforce stress in your school or Trust.

Register for free webinar

Managing Mental Heath at Work

Poor mental health affects one in four people each year. Despite this, only 24% of managers have received training on mental health at work. This can lead to issues going undetected, employees not receiving the support they need, and a decline in overall performance.

This course will increase your knowledge and confidence to help you open up supportive conversations and address concerns effectively.

Book now

Webinar review

“Having attended a few WorkNest webinars, I am always impressed with the no-nonsense, well-balanced guidance they provide.  Their advice gives me confidence to deal with situations that may arise in an appropriate way and the fact that they follow up with answers to all the questions posed during the webinar is an added bonus.”

Mary Greig, Scaled Solutions

Better with WorkNest

Protecting organisations and achieving results

Owing to our unrivalled support and expertise, we’re consistently high achievers when it comes to protecting organisations and achieving results.

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More employment lawyers

Across our non-SRA and SRA entities, we have over three times as many qualified employment lawyers than any of our larger competitors, guaranteeing the best possible advice.

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Reduced claims risk

Our Employment Law clients are nearly four times less likely to face a Tribunal claim compared to the national average, and almost twice as likely to successfully defend one.

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Qualified consultants

All of our Health & Safety specialists are IOSH qualified (or equivalent), mainly Chartered or Graduate, ensuring they possess the skills and expertise to support you effectively.

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Years of experience

Together, our experts have over 1,500 years’ collective experience of supporting organisations with their compliance, so you can be sure you’re in safe hands.

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Proud to support over 40,000 UK employers

Our clients range from small businesses with fewer than 50 staff at a single location, through to large household names employing thousands of people at multiple sites across the UK. Whatever your size or sector, we have solutions to suit your needs.