Pressure gauge

Why should I care if an employee is stressed?

You have a duty as an employer to look after the health of your employees. A stressed person won't be able to do their best work and their behaviour will also adversely affect other members of the team.

Could I get sued?

Although there has been a rise in stress litigation in recent years the floodgates have not opened as some suggested. It is difficult to prove that work has caused stress and resulting illnesses and that an employer could have prevented it.

Isn't stress good?

Pressure is a good thing. Most of the time pressure brings out the best in us. But stress is a result of going beyond your capacity to cope.

How can I tell if an employee or colleague is stressed?

Look for changes in behaviour. For example, people who are the life and soul of the office can become very quiet and withdrawn. Others lose their temper or their sense of humour. How are they handling their workload? Are their working hours creeping up? Are they jumping from task to task more than usual?

What can I do?

Talk to your team regularly. Start the conversation by saying something like: "This is a tough time for the team, we're under a lot of pressure. How do you think things are going?" Then angle the conversation around to how individuals themselves are coping.

What next?

Try to understand the nature of the problem. Help them think more rationally about the problem. When you are stressed you can blow things out of all proportion. People who cope well with stress learn how to understand what's within their control and don't stress themselves out about things they can't control.

What if the problem is personal?

All a manager can do is ask "is there any thing I can to do help?" without promising what you can't deliver. You cannot run someone's life for them. You could consider things like offering more flexible working hours.

It's important for managers to understand what support is available to them. They need to have somewhere to refer people to, for example an occupational health department or human resources.

What if I'm under stress myself?

One of the key things for managers is to look after themselves. There are lifestyle things such as not working long hours without having any breaks, remembering to keep fit and healthy. People who are good at coping learn when to switch off. It's called compartmentalising. Choose a point in the day when you can mentally switch off, for example when you go to the gym or during your journey home.