Recognising signs of stress at work: Help for managers  

Stress at work affects us all. Whether due to stretched workloads, client deadlines, or a crowded commute our jobs can be the primary cause of stress in our lives.

During the pandemic, organisations stepped up to help employees manage new stresses related to health, home-schooling, and working from home. Now, as we’re seeing the cost of living crisis pile on additional pressures, leaders are considering financial wellbeing too. On top of this, we’re adjusting to what long-term hybrid working looks like and how this new way of working might affect stress levels.  

Managing workplace stress starts by recognising the signs of stress at work, listening to how people are feeling, and finding ways to combat stress. Below, we explore how organisations can help employees feel less stressed, and what managers can do to support their teams.

Read More: Is Work-related Stress on the Rise in Britain?

What is the impact of hybrid working on stress at work?

Where possible, hybrid working is here to stay. Working from home allows for more deep work, free from the interruptions of the office, and greater flexibility. However new research suggests hybrid working, if not properly managed, could increase levels of stress at work. 

Working from home can increase productivity. For example, one source shows that two-thirds of employees feel more productive working from home. Yet the same research reveals that 31% of people find it harder to switch off and 30% work longer hours when working from home. 

The blurred lines between home and work make it harder to disconnect

In fact, 20% of UK hybrid workers feel “always on” and cite the difficulty to adapt to the boundaries between home and work as a major factor.  

Hybrid working also brings new stresses and pressures for line managers, such as overcoming proximity bias and shifting to measuring outputs over hours at a desk.  

Read on: 7 tips for leading hybrid teams 

On top of that, a lack of proper equipment means that hybrid workers in the UK can lose up to 6 hours a week to tech trouble. They make this time up by working late or at the weekends which only increases their levels of stress and frustration. 

With less visibility of the signs of stress, how can line managers help hybrid team members handle stress at work?

How can managers reduce stress at work for hybrid teams? 

Hybrid working is just a token gesture if not backed up by the trust of managers. To reduce levels of stress, managers must change their behaviours to actively demonstrate trust. This includes giving them a choice over their hybrid working schedule. 

Constantly checking in, dictating the days employees are in the office, or sending emails late at night undermines employee autonomy and threatens to ruin the employer employee relationship – already under pressure from a new way of working. 

The pressure to be ‘always on’ can also lead to digital presenteeism – when employees feel under pressure to always be available via email, text, phone, Zoom or Teams. Presenteeism usually means the need to prove to their manager or supervisor that they are working just as hard at home (despite having completed a full day’s work). And it increases levels of stress and exhaustion.  

Grey areas around expectations are increasing stress at work  

A fundamental driver of employee engagement is knowing what’s expected of your role and feeling this is fair and equal to your peers. It makes sense then that stress at work is often prompted by uncertainty over how to behave or what is acceptable. For hybrid workers, this can be heightened by the physical separation – it’s much harder to see what others are doing and learn what’s OK. 

Help employees tackle these stresses by being clear on the behaviours you expect from employees. Next, apply this equally across home, office and hybrid staff. For example, whether working from home or in the office team members are able to flex their day to accommodate appointments or commitments.  

It’s also up to you as a line manager to role-model these behaviours. Preaching about wellbeing while sending late-night emails (and chasing up first thing) sends the wrong message. Instead, reflect on how your working habits might need adjusting to match what you are suggesting to your team.  

What’s the difference between stress and burnout?  

Officially, stress is “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them”. However, we’re probably more used to seeing ‘stress’ cover everything from small one-off worries to things that make us very anxious in the long-term.  

Stress typically involves feeling under too much pressure. Under stress, we are usually still able to cope and can feel relief by taking a break or asking someone to lend a hand.  

Chronic workplace stress can lead to burnout. Unlike stress, burnout is when an employee feels mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted. The amount of work is too much, there isn’t enough time, and the stress is too great to cope with. As a result, burned out colleagues might come across as cynical, detached or very negative about their work, colleagues and customers. They may lose confidence and feel incapable of doing their job but unable to ask for help.  

Experiencing stress over a long period of time can lead to burnout: 

What causes stress at work?  

Understanding how people are feeling is important. On top of this, it is crucial to recognise which factors are causing stress at work so that you can make changes.  

While these factors vary by organisation, research has identified six major causes of workplace stress:  

1. Job demands  
2. Control  
3. Support  
4. Relationships  
5. Role clarity  
6. Change  

Crucially, these are factors that can be acted on – within teams and at an organisational level. People Insight’s model for measuring wellbeing, THRIVE, has combined these factors with additional research about wellbeing to create a robust staff wellbeing survey question-set. It also includes demographic questions that help add further context to your survey results.  

Employee surveys show the causes of stress at work  

Organisations have a legal duty to protect their workers from stress at work by assessing the risk and taking measures to control it. This is easier to do in smaller organisations, or when teams work in the office together. However, with more people working remotely or on different patterns it’s harder for managers to check in on how people are doing. Employee surveys, 1:1s and team catch-ups can help identify how people are feeling and where the issues lie. 

An employee wellbeing survey measures the mental and emotional wellbeing of your people and highlights the factors driving their survey responses. People Insight’s wellbeing surveys are based on THRIVE, our model for measuring wellbeing. Organisations can either run a wellbeing pulse survey or add an index of wellbeing questions into their wider survey.  

THRIVE offers organisations a robust and relevant measure of workplace stress and wellbeing. Designed by People Insight’s organisational psychologists, THRIVE is based on academic and applied research alongside our extensive practical research.  

Your employee survey results help spot signs of stress at work

After your organisation runs an employee survey or employee wellbeing survey, as a manager you will see the survey results for your team. Acting on these survey results is vital so your team can see the value of sharing their feedback.  

On top of these, there are ways to help your team cope with feeling stressed or anxious in their day-to-day role. Below are some suggestions for how managers can help individuals manage stress at work.  

• Check in with your team Talking about mental health and wellbeing can feel daunting. Yet many employees would welcome these conversations. In fact, 58% of people would feel comfortable with their manager proactively asking about their mental health. Before jumping in, let them know that you’d like to check in about how they’re feeling and suggest that this becomes a regular thing. These discussions will help you pick up on signs of stress before they develop.
• Point them towards resources Line managers aren’t expected to have all the answers about stress and wellbeing. Simply being present for your team and offering a compassionate ear will go a long way. First, understand what resources your organisation has available. For example you may have access to trained mental health first-aiders, an employee assistance programme (EAP), or access to external providers. Then, if you can’t solve an issue, steer your employee in the right direction to find help.
• Recognise and reward. Time and again we hear employees say they’d just like their efforts to be noticed. With a personal thank you. Or some words of encouragement and support from their manager. When your team is feeling swamped, make a small effort each day to show interest and realise the efforts of your colleagues will pay dividends. Similarly, keep a spot in your team check-ins to celebrate achievements, share good news and talk about your team’s wins from that week.  

More ideas of how managers can help reduce stress at work

Lead by example

If you want to encourage positive habits, leading from the top is a great place to start. Cutting down on emails sent outside your working hours, scheduling time for uninterrupted work, or blocking out a lunch break sends a powerful message. One that reflects what your organisation values and what it expects of people. 

Prioritise workloads 

Workloads are one of the main causes of stress at work. Too much to do, not enough time and feeling pressure from all sides can leave our people worn out and fed up. Helping your team manage their workloads can start by understanding the sources of stress. If they struggle to motivate themselves while working from home, suggest using a tool like Toggl to manage their daily tasks and track what’s taking up most time. Or, if prioritising tasks is a challenge perhaps you could introduce a daily check-in to share what everyone is working on 

Managers and leaders are affected by stress, too

It’s worth noting that managers and higher ups also suffer from a great deal of stress. And in fact, more often than not, they struggle on without admitting the pressure is getting to them, worsening the situation for themselves and those they manage. We have a guide on how to prevent burnout in leadership so you can ensure your business is being led confidently and effectively by leaders who aren’t overburdened.

We can help you reduce levels of stress at your workplace and improve morale with our wellbeing surveys. Discover where your employees are struggling and what changes you can make to improve their employee experience. Contact our friendly team today for a discussion about your unique organisational needs.