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Stress – what can you do as a group?

We all share a responsibility to contribute to a healthy, positive work environment. It’s important that managers and staff work together to demonstrate care and consideration for each other and the well-being of the group.

On this page, you will find advice and inspiration to help you as a group support each other in preventing, detecting and tackling unhealthy stress in the workplace. It’s helpful to think about stress in terms of three zones: the well-being zone, the risk zone and the danger zone.

THE WELL-BEING ZONE

Balance and well-being

Temporary short periods of stress

How can we as a group promote well-being and prevent unhealthy stress?

  • contribute to creating a culture of openness about stress and well-being, for example by speaking openly about challenges or asking others for help
  • show an interest in how our colleagues are doing and support/help colleagues who seem overburdened
  • take co-responsibility for the contributing to your unit’s performance and well-being by being available to discuss and advise on work-related issues and help with specific tasks if a colleague needs it
  • contribute to creating a strong, inclusive community, for example by participating in social activities
  • contribute to constructive communication, feedback and resolving disagreements quickly

Tools

THE RISK ZONE

Imbalance over a longer period of time

Physical and psychological symptoms with negative consequences for productivity and well-being

How can we as a group detect and respond to signs of stress among us?

  • contact your colleague if you see signs of unhealthy stress and express your concern to them directly – express an interest in whether they need help/support
  • encourage your colleague to contact their manager if they haven’t already done so – you might offer to accompany them, or suggest contacting the occupational health and safety representative or the union representative if your colleague doesn’t want to contact their manager for any reason
  • follow up and show extra concern and support subsequently

Tools

THE DANGER ZONE

Intense, chronic overload

Increasingly severe symptoms and acute risk to health and work performance

How can we as a group help a colleague suffering from severe stress?

  • talk to each other and with your manager about:
    • how we can support our colleague (coordinate contact/send flowers etc.)
    • how we can contribute to a healthy workplace culture with support for well-being and coverage for work tasks during your colleague’s absence
    • whether tasks should be distributed differently, or whether anything else can be done to prevent stress in the team

Further information and inspiration:

Revised 03.07.2024
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AU HR, Development and Work Environment, Michael Martini