Stress can affect individuals, work teams and the entire workplace. There are six main areas that can lead to work-related stress if they are not managed properly. These are: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. Factors like skills and experience, age or disability may all affect whether an employee can cope. 

Employers and managers should observe and listen for stress cues. This will allow earlier intervention and a reduction in stress levels in the workplace. 

Many healthcare professionals will not openly admit that they are stressed. Employees may say that they: 

• Are not able to cope with the demands of their jobs 
• Are unable to control the way they do their work 
• Don’t receive enough information and support 
• Are having trouble with relationships at work, or are being bullied 
• Don’t fully understand their role and responsibilities 
• Are not engaged or involved when a business is undergoing change.

Periods of stress at work are widely acceptable and can be useful for individual motivation. However, persistent, chronic, long-term stress only serves to harm an employee’s health and wellbeing, leading ultimately to ‘burnout’.

Burnout is commonly defined as a “work-related mental health impairment comprising three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment”.

Factors enhancing the risk of burnout include workload and time pressure; role conflict and role ambiguity; and lack of: social support, feedback, autonomy and/or participation in decision-making. 

The health consequences of burnout include chronic stress, depression, musculoskeletal pain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. By the time signs of stress and burnout are identified, much damage has already been done. So, rather than being reactive how do we prevent poor wellbeing in the workplace?