Stress at work: how to manage it and when it turns into burnout

Stress at work is the body's response to job demands that exceed a person's resources: too many tasks, tight deadlines, conflict or unclear expectations. Short-term stress can be motivating, but when it lasts for months it lowers performance, affects health and can lead to burnout.

In Great Britain, employers have a legal duty to assess the risk of work-related stress and act on it, and the Health and Safety Executive gives them a framework for this: the HSE Management Standards.

Common causes of stress at work

• too many tasks and unrealistic deadlines;
• unclear goals and shifting priorities;
• little control over how the work is done;
• conflict within the team or with a manager;
• regular overtime and too little rest;
• job insecurity and organizational change.

These causes map closely onto the six areas of the HSE Management Standards: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change.

Signs of stress at work

• Physical: poor sleep, headaches, muscle tension, getting ill more often.
• Emotional: irritability, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed.
• Cognitive: trouble concentrating, forgetfulness, putting tasks off.
• Behavioral: lateness, withdrawing from conversations, more sick days.

How to manage stress at work

• Prioritize. Plan the day and separate the urgent from the important.
• Work in blocks. 60 to 90 minutes of focused work without notifications, then a short break.
• Set boundaries. Agree with the team when you are available and when you are not.
• Talk about workload. Managers do not always see that there is too much until someone tells them.
• Move and sleep. Regular physical activity and consistent sleep hours lower tension.
• Take your leave. Use annual leave every year instead of carrying it over.

Stress vs burnout

Burnout is a state of chronic exhaustion caused by prolonged work stress that has not been managed. The World Health Organization describes it in the ICD-11 as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition, with three signs: exhaustion, mental distance or cynicism towards the job, and reduced professional efficacy.

If the signs last for weeks despite rest, talk to your manager and a professional. A short definition of the term is in our HR glossary entry on employee burnout.

What HR and managers can do

• Regular 1:1 meetings. A conversation every week or two helps spot changes before they affect results.
• A realistic workload. Track the number of tasks and overtime, and spread work across the team.
• Leave as the norm. Remind people about unused days and lead by example.
• Pulse surveys. Short anonymous surveys once a month show where tension is building.
• Support. Access to a psychologist, flexible hours and clear rules on contact outside working hours.

For teams in Ukraine, war adds its own pressures, from air raid alerts to power cuts and worry for loved ones, which makes flexibility and honest conversations about workload especially important. Anonymous surveys only stay anonymous in groups large enough that answers cannot be traced to one person, so set a minimum group size before sharing results.

How to measure stress in a team

In PeopleForce, HR runs regular anonymous surveys on workload, work-life balance and engagement in Pulse, and engagement analytics shows which teams are trending down. The eNPS survey tracks the overall mood in the company.

1:1 meetings in Perform record agreements with each employee, and leave tracking in Core HR shows who has not had a break for a long time.

Frequently asked questions

How do you manage stress at work?

Prioritizing tasks, working in focused blocks, setting availability boundaries, talking to your manager about workload, and regular rest and exercise all help.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a state of chronic exhaustion caused by prolonged work stress. The WHO lists three signs: exhaustion, detachment from the job and reduced efficacy.

What is the difference between stress and burnout?

Stress is short-term and eases after rest. Burnout builds up over months and does not go away after a weekend or holiday.

What can employers do to reduce stress at work?

Employers can run regular pulse surveys, monitor workload and leave, train managers to hold 1:1 meetings and give employees access to psychological support. In Great Britain, the HSE Management Standards set out how to assess the risk.