Work-related stress needs attention to how work is organised. Encouraging people to take care of themselves can help, but it should not shift responsibility for avoidable workplace pressures onto individuals.
Understand the pressure
Ask about demands, control, support, working relationships, role clarity and the way changes are managed. These are the areas covered by HSE’s Management Standards approach.
Choose actions that address the cause
If priorities conflict, clarify them. If staffing or workload is the issue, examine the allocation of work. Agree realistic changes with the people affected rather than relying only on general wellbeing messages.
Make conversations routine
Provide a route to raise concerns before they become a crisis. Use regular check-ins to ask whether the agreed workload and arrangements remain workable, without expecting people to disclose private medical details.
Review the result
Name the owner of each action and set a review date. Look at whether the changes are helping across the team. Use HR, occupational health or other appropriate professional support when needed, alongside the organisation’s own action on the work.