How to Tell if an Employee Is Under Stress

Do you have a good employee who seems to have gone bad? Stress, not a bad attitude, may be the culprit.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Stress Management Counseling
• Stress Relief Products
• File Folders

1. Note any sudden changes in the employee's behavior. Is he or she falling behind in work or working overtime all the time?
2. Look for changes in the employee's productivity. Has there been a slowdown? Or, conversely, a frantic speedup that involves the employee's working nights and weekends over an extended period of time?
3. Pay attention to the quality of the employee's work. Are there more errors? Has it gone from good to mediocre?
4. Listen to what the employee is saying. Comments like "I can't take this anymore" or "I can never get this right," even when said jokingly, can indicate that the employee is stressed.
5. See if the employee is taking vacations and holidays. Not doing so is not always a sign of fanatical devotion to the company.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid sounding accusatory when discussing work problems with an employee. Remember, the work environment, rather than the employee, might be the real problem.
• Remember that you are not a counselor. If an employee's personal problems require professional intervention, refer him or her to your company's independent employee assistance program.