We all know that enjoying going to work gives you a lot of energy. A high workload in itself does not have to be a bad thing and can even feel a bit good. As long as you feel like you are 'in control', you can handle the world. However, work pressure often turns into work stress for employees and when that happens, problems begin. In almost 70% of cases, psychological absenteeism is related to stress at work, often resulting in long-term absenteeism. How can you, as a manager, guard against situations in which healthy work pressure turns into stress?

When pressure turns into stress

Stress does not just happen. Often there is a combination of factors. Private circumstances, for example, can be a trigger. At such a moment, the positively perceived workload can turn into stress. Or when the workload becomes so high that the employee loses control over his/her work. The balance between work and private life is disrupted, which can lead to stress and absenteeism. It is important to monitor both sides of the balance sheet at all times. An employee with a healthy balance sheet can be decisive for the success of your company or department, but an employee with stress can get you into serious trouble. Small companies in particular can hardly absorb and/or finance absenteeism.

Fewer tasks is not the solution

When an employee indicates that they are experiencing stress, or when you as a manager notice this yourself, one of your first and most logical reactions is to limit the tasks and responsibilities of the employee in question. However, studies have shown that reducing work is not the solution for stress-related complaints. It often even makes the employee feel worse, because he or she has the feeling that your intervention as a manager is a judgment on his or her qualities and skills. People get energy from bringing challenging situations under control, as long as they are manageable and manageable. There is a big difference between a lot of work and TOO much work. So don't take the energy out of your employee by giving him or her fewer tasks and responsibilities, but above all provide compliments, support from colleagues and more decision-making power over their own work. This could also mean, for example, that you give more freedom in terms of working hours.

What can you do then?

Removing tasks and limiting responsibilities is therefore not the way to deal with workload and work stress among your employees. But what can you do?

Learn to recognize the turning point

As a manager, in many cases you have to rely on your senses and gut feeling. Recognizing situations among employees who are at the tipping point of work pressure versus work stress is crucial. But you don't have to do it alone, you can also be trained as a manager to develop the right antennae. What should set alarm bells ringing is if employees structurally feel that they have to work overtime to complete their tasks. Or when you notice that fatigue is starting to play a role and the employee is making mistakes that were not possible before. Shifting deadlines and an increasing 'yes, but' mentality are also often a sign of the future.

Speak 1 on 1 with your employees

Stress is often a huge taboo within companies and corporate cultures. Especially in companies with a strong commercial culture. As a manager, break through this and make it a topic of discussion, without putting your employee on the spot. Instead of having a performance review a few times a year, it can work very well to talk briefly (10-15 minutes) with your employees during a 1-on-1 meeting, for example, once every two weeks or once a month. If you do this informally and not too officially, it can be a perfect moment to check the status of the workload.

Make time management a central theme

In many cases it is not even the actual workload that causes problems, but the perception of workload. Loss of control is a much bigger driver of stress than the actual to-do list. Young generations in particular have difficulty with time management and determining priorities. They still lack some experience in that area. Offer your employees the opportunity to develop in the field of time management, for example by facilitating a course or training in that area.

Limit the meeting culture

Ask any employee what causes him or her stress. Chances are that “too many meetings and gatherings” will be high on the list. Especially in large organizations, employees often spend more time in the meeting room than behind their computer or workplace. This causes a lot of work pressure and possibly stress, as tasks are left behind and e-mail piles up when there are many meetings. Limit the number of meetings in your department. For example, get inspiration from methodologies such as agile/Scrum, where there are not many group meetings (as few as possible) other than a short stand-up at the start of the day.

Give your employees a 'flexible shell'

If crowds were predictable, they could be managed. However, busyness within companies often comes with partly unexpected peaks and valleys. Especially in business services, peaks and troughs in occupancy pose a major challenge for managers. Your employees feel this too. One moment it is very busy and the work is almost unbearable, at other times it is relatively quiet. However, the busy moments linger longer in the memory than the quiet moments. Try to work on a flexible workforce of freelancers, for example, who can strengthen your team if necessary. By working with a permanent group of freelancers/self-employed people, you know what you are getting and what you can expect. Calling in additional temporary capacity is an important signal to your employees that you take their workload seriously.