How to test for employee stress

Attracting and retaining staff is one of the main challenges businesses face in the current environment and staff who are struggling or feeling overwhelmed, are more likely to have time off or leave, which in turn places strain on the rest of the team, especially in a small business. That’s why creating a positive working environment where everyone has the opportunity to succeed goes beyond legal requirements – there is also a moral and business case for doing so. But how can you identify if members of your team may be struggling? Vocational rehabilitation specialist Helen Valls-Russell shares her tips for business owners wanting to nurture a thriving team.

When a member of the team is struggling with their mental health, it is important to act early.  However, it is hard to do that unless you know they are struggling, and most people do not tell their manager at the early stages.  In fact, they may not consciously be aware themselves at that stage, and when they are, they may not know how to raise it with their manager.  So it is important to be aware of the signs to look out for.

Stress is individual to each person

Stress is something we all experience from time to time.  It is the way in which we react internally to things that are happening externally.  It is a normal response to situations that we see as threatening to us.  What is stressful to one person is not to another.  Some stress is useful as it drives and motivates us to achieve our goals – for example, most of us would not complete certain tasks without the pressure of a deadline.

People’s experience of stress will differ from person to person.  There are numerous symptoms people may experience including physical, cognitive, and emotional.  The physical can, for example, include symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain, high blood pressure, fast breathing, sweating, headache, back/neck pain, irritable bowel, nausea, tiredness, changes in weight, and worsening allergies or skin conditions.

They may also become forgetful, struggle with finding their words, struggle with decision making or problem solving.  Emotionally, they may be tearful, easily frustrated, experience fluctuation moods, have feelings of guilt, helplessness or hopelessness, and low self-esteem.

The challenge for the manager is how to recognise this in the workplace.  So how might this present at work?

Recognising stress among your staff

These symptoms translate into behaviours, such as withdrawing socially, being “snappy”, avoiding certain situations, increased drinking or smoking, or fidgeting.  As already highlighted, we are all individuals and this will look different for everyone.  So whilst one person may work late every night, another person may have lots of time off.  Whilst one person may lose weight due to decreased appetite, another may put on weight due to increased snacking.  Some people become quiet and withdrawn whilst others may talk more and with increased volume and speed.

On the surface, this sounds like an impossible puzzle to solve.  However, there is one clear thread running through all the different and sometimes opposite behaviours – CHANGE.  The sign to look out for is change.

If someone has always been snappy then it is not necessarily a sign of stress, it might just be their personality.  Equally, some people are naturally slightly withdrawn in social situations.  Smoking, whilst not great for your health, is not a warning sign, but an increase in their smoking habits could be a sign.

In order to recognise a change, it is important to know what is normal for someone, and you will only know that by building strong working relationships with your team.  Regular 1 to 1s, creating an environment of openness and trust, and being accessible to your team will help contribute to this.  With the rise of home working and remote teams, this can be more challenging, but you should be having regular contact with a remote team and you may still see changes in work patterns, such as emails late at night or a change in the style or tone of their emails.

What to do if you think a member of your team is suffering from stress 

So what do you do if you notice a change in someone’s behaviour?  The first thing is to remember it does not necessarily mean there is a problem.  It may be due to any number of things you are not aware of and may, for example, be due to an exciting or positive change in their personal lives.  However, it is important to address the situation and provide an opportunity for them to tell you if they are struggling.

If you have regular 1 to 1s with your team scheduled, then it may be a good opportunity to discuss it.  If this is not imminent, maybe ask to meet with them a little later that day, or find an opportunity for a chat as part of the workday.  However, this has to be in a suitable, private, and safe space.   It sounds obvious, but I have known managers address the topic loudly, with no warning, in an open plan office.

Also, if it needs to be a separate meeting, be mindful of how you arrange this, making sure they do not feel singled out in front of other colleagues, and ensuring they are not concerned about what the meeting is for.  If they are feeling vulnerable, they are likely to worry about what the meeting is for and what to expect.

Also, think about timings – if you ask someone on a Friday to meet with you on the Monday and they are not sure what it is for, by Monday they are likely to be in quite a bad way, having worried all weekend.  So the best approach is to address it in a 1:1 or try to create the opportunity for a catch up over coffee.

How to handle the response ‘I’m fine’ 

The challenge many managers share with me is that when they ask someone how they are, they say “I’m fine” and the manager is unsure where to go from there.  So it can be useful to think about why it is you are concerned, and how you might explain that.  It is important to offer objective examples of what you have observed.  So if someone says they are fine, say you have noticed they have been working late, or that they became frustrated with a task and that it is unlike them.

Make it clear you are not criticising them for this, you are just concerned for them and wanted to check in with them.  This opens up the conversation as they need to then address that specific incident or pattern of behaviour.  Once you know what the challenge is, you can start to put the appropriate support in place.

Key challenges for managers – and how to handle them 

One of the biggest barriers to managers asking these questions seems to be a fear of saying the wrong thing or not having the answers.  You do not need to have the answers at this stage; think of this as a fact-finding exercise.  To say to someone you would like to consider what they said and think about how you can best support them, and arrange a follow up meeting, shows you are taking it seriously and are keen to provide them with the right support, whilst taking the pressure off you and allowing you time to think and to access any support you may need.

One of the questions I am often asked by managers is “what if they cry?!”. My answer is “hand them a tissue”.  Allow them a space to cry, to feel and to express those feelings.  Crying is not necessarily a bad thing and by allowing this safe space, they will hopefully feel more able to trust you and work with you to find solutions and the support needed.

Remember though, you do not need to become an expert in mental health, and you are not a counsellor.  You also need to take care of yourself and your own wellbeing, so make sure you have someone to go to for support too to be better able to look after your own mental health and wellbeing.

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MEET THE EXPERT 

Helen Valls-Russell is a vocational rehabilitation specialist with Ergocom, providing independent and specialist assessments, along with successful return-to-work programmes for insurers, employers, and case managers.