As a manager – particularly if you have staff who report to you – you play a key role in relation to preventing unhealthy stress and taking action to tackle stress when and if it becomes a problem in your team or for an individual staff member.
On this page, you’ll find help and inspiration on steps you can take to prevent, detect and tackle unhealthy stress. It’s helpful to think about stress in terms of three zones: the well-being zone, the risk zone and the danger zone.
What can you do to promote well-being and prevent stress?
know what stress is, what typically causes it and how it typically develops, and what you as a manager can do to prevent it
provide clarity and alignment on priorities and performance, check in with staff about their workload, motivation, well-being and collaboration, both individually and as a group
contribute to creating a culture in which team members have access to mutual support, assistance and guidance from colleagues and their manager
focus on ensuring a culture of constructive communication and working to prevent and manage conflicts
contribute to creating a culture in which openness about both successes and challenges is encouraged – create a space in which staff feel free to talk about mistakes by setting an example and speaking openly about your own doubts, mistakes or challenges
make sure that the department/unit’s procedures for working with well-being and stress prevention are clear and brought into focus on an ongoing basis
Physical and psychological symptoms with negative consequences for productivity and well-being
What can you do to detect and respond to stress?
be attentive to any signs that your staff are not thriving, both as individuals and in the unit as a whole, through one-on-one dialogues and daily observation
if you are concerned about a staff member, discuss it with them
if a staff member is experiencing stress, explore what factors are contributing so that you can make a plan to lighten the load or reallocate tasks. Inform them of the option of getting psychological counselling and encourage them to consult their general practitioner
monitor how well the plan is working and adjust it as needed
find out if other staff in the unit are also experiencing stress and need your help
remember that stress is not purely an individual problem; it is a shared problem that may stem from unclear roles, responsibilities, expectations, conflicting demands, the workplace culture and other issues.
if the staff is experiencing stress due to general structural problems in the workplace, you as a manager should work on improving working conditions as much as possible (perhaps in collaboration with the occupational health and safety and union representatives)
in the event the staff member takes sick leave, agree on what to tell colleagues, and agree on the frequency and kind of contact with them during their sick leave
together with the staff member on sick leave, plan a phased return to work and a gradual increase in tasks, with an eye for their scope and complexity
help the team prioritise their tasks while their colleague is on sick leave – find out if anyone else is under pressure, and explore what you as a manage can do to tackle this/prevent stress in the unit
where relevant, involve the occupational health and safety and union representatives in identifying any workplace conditions that might lead to stress, and work to improve these conditions