3 tips to help employees manage stress at work

By: The Capella University Editorial Team with Dr. Susan Saurage-Altenloh, PhD, MBA, MS Associate Professor, School of Business, Technology, and Health Care Administration

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Stress can wreak havoc on a workplace.

From tight deadlines to budget crunches, personal problems to health issues, stress of all kinds can decrease productivity and affect employee morale. What can an empathetic employer do to help?

“Employers don’t need large initiatives to make a meaningful difference,” explains Dr. Susan Saurage-Altenloh, an associate professor who studies workplace well-being and works closely with adult students balancing professional and personal responsibilities. “What matters most is whether leaders are paying attention. Prolonged stress gradually disrupts routines, drains energy and narrows focus. When leaders acknowledge that reality and respond with flexibility and clear communication, they create stability at a time when employees need it most.”

Here are three practical ways to cultivate employee well-being.

1. Pay attention to patterns of stress, not just symptoms

Workplace stress rarely announces itself in obvious ways. Some staff members may appear distracted or withdrawn while others may experience headaches, fatigue or increased absenteeism. Chronic strain can also appear as unused vacation time, frequent after-hours communication or a gradual decline in energy and engagement across teams. 

Rather than treating these signs as isolated concerns, management should examine them collectively. If multiple associates are working late, postponing time off or struggling to keep up with shifting priorities, the issue may stem from workload or unclear expectations – not individual performance. Looking for patterns helps supervisors identify root causes, address structural contributors and prevent burnout.

2. Encourage open conversations about workplace stress

When supervisors acknowledge that demanding work can take a toll, individuals are more likely to speak openly about what they’re experiencing. Addressing this directly rather than avoiding it signals that well-being and performance are not competing priorities.

“In most organizations, employees are not asking for less accountability,” says Dr. Saurage-Altenloh. “They’re asking to be understood. When leaders create space for honest conversation without judgment, trust grows. That trust makes it far easier to collaborate on practical adjustments that support both performance and well-being.”

Creating that space requires consistency. Regular check-ins, such as asking “How are things going?” or “Is your workload manageable right now?” signal that managers are paying attention and can open the door to honest conversation. This transparency can help underscore the idea that managing stress is a shared responsibility, not an individual’s weakness.

3. Enable sustainable, employee-informed solutions

Formal wellness initiatives, such as mindfulness sessions, nutrition guidance or stress-management workshops, are most effective when they complement healthy workload expectations and clear priorities, rather than trying to offset chronic overwork.

Managers can assist team members by encouraging regular breaks, modeling healthy boundaries and making it acceptable to disconnect when the workday ends. Access to mental health resources, flexible scheduling when possible and opportunities for social connection can also promote resilience.

Helping staff balance responsibilities isn’t something managers can do alone. Organizations need to facilitate those efforts with clear policies, flexible options and accessible education.

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