Identifying the signs of stress in employees

As an employer or manager, you naturally want to ensure that you can offer support to staff suffering with stress, and that you are aware as you can be, to pick up the signs that are there.

But how do you know when a member of staff is stressed? You’re not a mind-reader, and sometimes people will hide the fact that they’re stressed, because that’s their way of coping, or they don’t want you to know, because it’s a private thing, or they’re afraid that it will be seen as a sign of weakness.

There is a range of outward signs to look for; changes in behaviour, for example. That means, though, that you have to know your staff in the first place to know what a change looks like. The signs include:

• reduced quality of work
• indecisiveness and poor judgement
• loss of sense of humour
• physical illness such as headaches, nausea, aches and pains
• over-sensitivity
• seeming jumpy or ill-at-ease
• tiredness and irritability
• increased sick leave
• poor timekeeping
• changes to the pattern of their working day – perhaps by staying late or taking work home

You should also look for signs of more widespread problems among groups of employees. For example:

• low morale
• arguments and disputes between staff
• general absenteeism
• increased grievances and complaints
• greater staff turnover

What can you do if any of these symptoms are apparent?

The first thing you can do is to sit down with your staff member in a confidential setting, and have a word with them about it. It may well be that if they are stressed, they don’t want to talk to you about it because it’s personal, or they think you’ll perceive it as a sign of weakness. What you must do is to create an environment and a relationship in which the chances of them opening up are as high as possible. This doesn’t mean they will speak up, but at least you will know that you’ve given them the opportunity to do so. You could suggest that they speak to another manager about things, if they would prefer. Larger companies often have the support of Employee Assistance Programmes, with counsellors available for staff to speak to. You could point them in the direction of a stress coach or stress counsellor. You could even suggest speaking to their GP, if things are becoming particularly difficult.

It’s better to minimise the chances of stress occurring in the first place

A good place to start is the HSE Management Standards, which cover the risk factors associated with the workplace. They provide guidelines for what you can do to promote a healthy working environment. They cover:

• the demands placed on staff
• the control they have over the way they work
• relationships at work (including promoting positive working to avoid conflict, and dealing with unacceptable behaviour
• how change is managed and communicated
• whether people are clear about their role in the organisation
• the support and encouragement people get from the organisation, line management and colleagues

If you can address these six areas, you are likely to have a more co-operative and contented workforce, and improved business performance. There is likely to be less stress around for staff and managers, and less conflict, and you will also be complying with the legislation and regulations relating to health and safety at work.

If you want to know more about the Management Standards, visit www.hse.gov.uk/stress

For further advice on any of the above, contact Marc Kirby at Stress Management Plus on 0118 3340786 or 07864 717439