Module Handbook 2024/25

Module Name: Wellbeing at Work

Module Code: USPJMQ-15-M

Module Leader Name: Dr Ben Steeden

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Introduction
Welcome to Wellbeing at Work! This module looks at issues around wellbeing in the
workplace, such as how work links with individual and organisational wellbeing by
considering the role of work and employment; how work is structured and continues to
evolve including the interface of work and non-work; any negative effects of work including
various theories of stress and interventions. This module aims to blend theory with practice
and prepare students for work as a business psychologist by understanding more about the
role of wellbeing in the workplace.

Please note that the electronic version of the handbook will be kept up to date and you will
be notified of any significant changes. If you have taken a hard copy of any information
please remember to refer back to the electronic version to ensure that you are working with
the most up to date information.

Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................... 2
1. Module team information ............................................................................... 3
2. Communication and student voice ..................................................................... 4
3. Module enhancement ....................................................................................... 4
4. Module specific information .............................................................................. 5
5. Assessment ..................................................................................................... 7
6. Feedback ......................................................................................................... 8
7. Reading and resources ..................................................................................... 8
8. Advice and support .......................................................................................... 9

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1. Module team information

Module Leader
Ben Steeden
Room: 3B037
Email: [email protected]
Student Hours: By arrangement.
https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/BenSteeden

Gemma Pike
Room: 3B037
Email: N/A
Student Hours: N/A.
https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/GemmaPhillips-Pike

Harriet Attwood
Room: N/A
Email: TBC (see Blackboard)
Student Hours: N/A.

Naomi Stone
Room: N/A
Email: TBC (see Blackboard)
Student Hours: N/A.

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External examiners from other institutions are appointed to each module to act
independently and work with the module team in the management of threshold academic
standards. Information is available about the external examiner appointed to this module.

Contacting the Module Leader

If you have any questions about the module, for example, about assessments, it is likely
that other people have the same question. Therefore, we recommend that you make use of
Teams for any questions. The module leader will endeavour to answer any queries that you
ask of us on Teams as soon as possible. If you would like to arrange a one-to-one meeting
to discuss the module or your experience of it, please email the module leader to arrange a
meeting by appointment.

2. Communication and student voice

Throughout your time with us, you will receive regular communications; the main
communication channels used are Blackboard sites, Teams and your UWE email address. It
is your responsibility to read everything that you are sent and act upon it where appropriate.
You can contact the module leader at any point for information and support.

You can contact the module leader via email or by booking an appointment either on
campus or online via Teams. There will be an opportunity to give formal module feedback
via the annual programme survey or via your programme student representative. You are
also very welcome to contact the module leader direct with any informal module feedback.
See here for more details of how we manage student feedback at UWE.

3. Module enhancement
We have taken on board feedback from internal and external assessors, our accrediting
body, and previous students in the development of this module. For example, we have
amended the order of assessment submissions so that the assessment with the larger
weighting is submitting after all the content has been released. Whilst we have worked very
hard to ensure that the module runs smoothly and that the content is current and

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interesting, we always welcome the opportunity to develop and improve. If you have any
suggestions for module enhancement, please email the Module Leader your views and
suggestions, so that we can feed-forward to other MSc modules and to future cohorts.

4. Module specific information

For this module you have:
• 10 topics to learn about
• 2 face to face workshops to attend
• 1 group discussion to engage with
• 2 assessments to complete
• 2 'Review, Recap &Consolidate' weeks

As this is a blended learning module, much of your learning will be self-directed. However,
there is a structure in place to support your learning progress. Under the Learning menu on
the left, there is a Topics section. In here, you will find the ten topics and associated
resources. These topics will become available to you as progress through the module, so
depending on when you are reading this you may not see any topics as yet. They will be
released each week at 9am throughout the teaching week according to the schedule below.
In each topic folder you will find the same structure - introductory narrated lecture video,
Powerpoint slides, a core reading to complete and an indication of useful additional
resources.

In order to support you with your topic learning, you will have two assessments to complete
on various aspects of the module and two group discussions to engage with.

The outline for the module is as follows:

Activity Date
Workshop 1 9th October 2024

Group Discussion 22nd October 2024

Assessment Deadline (Essay) 12th November 2024

Workshop 2 4th December 2024

Assessment Deadline (Pitch) 7th January 2025

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In addition to the above, each week you will be required to complete self-directed study on
a topic within the module. The table below shows the topics and the weeks that these
should be completed.
Topic Date
Topic 1 - Intro to module & Intro to wellbeing - from stress 30th September 2024
to happiness a review of the employment life cycle
(Workshop 1)
Topic 2 - Measuring wellbeing (Essay) 7th October 2024
Topic 3 - Shift work and circadian rhythms (Essay) 14th October 2024
Topic 4 - Conflict @ Work: Bullying and harassment at work 21st October 2024
(Essay)
Topic 5 - Happy productive worker (Essay) 28th October 2024
Review, Recap & Consolidate 4th November 2024
Topic 6 – The downside and upside of stress (Pitch) 11th November 2024
Topic 7 – Stress management (Pitch) 18th November 2024
Topic 8 – Work Life Balance (Workshop 2) 25th November 2024
Topic 9 – Emotions at work (Workshop 2) 2nd December 2024
Topic 10 – Resilience & Mindset (Workshop 2) 9th December 2024
Review, Recap & Consolidate 16th December 2024

As you will see from the above, there is one 'Review, Recap and Consolidate' week at the
half way point, and another at the end of the semester, where there is the opportunity to
review your learning so far, or catch up on any videos or readings you may have missed as
well as ask questions to the module team about various topics covered up until that point. It
is hoped that having this session built into the learning schedule, will help you to embed the
learning more fully.

Attendance
In order to cover all the MSc Business Psychology course material, we expect you to attend
both the face-to-face workshops for this module. If you cannot attend, please email your
Module Leader with a reason for your absence in advance of the sessions. If you do not
attend and/or fail to provide an adequate reason, it will be noted in our Attendance

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Management System (AMS) and you will be flagged as a non-attending student. Please note
that employers often ask for attendance records in reference requests and we will write any
references utilising the AMS data.

For this module, consider the ‘3 P’s’ learning framework:

Preparation
• Plan when you will view the online lectures each week.
• Complete any preparation for the workshops.

Participation
• Read the weekly core readings.
• Attend the workshops on campus.
• Take part in group discussions.

Practice
• Use the reading list to read around the topics.
• Apply the module learning to your assignments.
• Critically assess the theories and research in the module and consider how they can be
applied in the workplace.

5. Assessment
There are two assessments for this module:
1. The Pitch task, a videoed stress management pitch. This is worth 75% of your mark.
2. The Essay task, a traditional essay chosen from a choice of four titles. This is worth 25%
of your mark.

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More detailed information on each assessment is provided in the accompanying Assessment
Briefs on Blackboard, where you will find all essential details regarding submission
requirements and relevant information.

6. Feedback
You will receive feedback in a variety of forms throughout the module, therefore it is
important to attend timetabled sessions to ensure you do not miss out on these
opportunities.

You will also receive feedback on assessed work; this may be individually or as a
group/cohort, which will enable you to understand how you have met the assessment
criteria and identify areas for your further improvement.

MyUWE is used to communicate unconfirmed marks, provide cover sheets for assessments
and to submit work. Further information on all aspects of your myUWE portal is available on
the website.

7. Reading and resources

For the Wellbeing at Work module there is a core reading list as well as further reading
suggested. The core and further reading is provided on Blackboard for each topic, so please
check under the Topics area week by week to review the core reading required. Where
possible, we will provide access to online resources which can be accessed via the UWE
Library.

If you would like to get a textbook for this module, then the core book suggested is the
following: Hesketh, I. & Cooper, C.L. 2019, Wellbeing at work: how to design, implement
and evaluate an effective strategy, KoganPage, London. Please note that the above book is
available online via the UWE Library. It provides a useful companion to the module.

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However, if you would like to go back to basics before you start reading more in-depth
books and articles, then most undergraduate-focused Business Psychology or Work
Psychology textbooks will have a chapter(s) on this area to provide you with a good
foundation. Be aware though that many textbooks will cover mostly stress from this area. A
good introduction that covers stress and wellbeing can be found in: Arnold, J., Coyne, I.,
Randall, R., & Patterson F. (2020). Work psychology: Understanding human behaviour in the
workplace, 7th edition, Pearson: Upper Saddle River. Please note we will be covering a
wider area than this throughout the module, but this will provide you with a firm foundation
on which to build.

If you want to dip into the area of positive psychology and wellbeing, then a good place to
start is here: Seligman, M. (2013). Flourish: a visionary new understanding of happiness and
well-being. New York: Atria Paperback.

Your module reading list can be accessed online through the module’s Blackboard page. This
will be updated with new and current resources as and when. If you find any really useful
resources that you would recommend to others, please let the Module Leader know and
these can be added in the spirit of us all being a community of learners. In case you are
new to the reading list software, this short video available on the library’s website will
introduce you to some of the key features of the online reading list system.

8. Advice and support

There are a range of facilities and services you can go to for advice and support depending
on what the issue is. Remember - asking for help at the earliest possible stage will help you
in the long run.

Please contact Information Point who may signpost you to other professional services such
as;
Library study skills support
Generative AI Guide
Student Support Advisers
Disability Service

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Health and Wellbeing Services
Money and Finance
Immigration Advice Service

And Finally…
We hope that this module handbook provides all the initial information that you need to get
a good overview of the module, providing information on: what will be covered, what
assessments are required, recommended texts and where to go for support. We love the
area of wellbeing at work and hope we can communicate this passion to you throughout the
module.

We really hope that you enjoy this module and learn a great deal about stress, conflict,
resilience, mindset etc. and can learn how to apply this to your workplace in the future, but
also to your own self-development.

All that is left to say is enjoy the module! Looking forward to working with you on this!

The WBW Team

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