Responding to Workplace Stress Leave: A Three-Step Approach

We all get stressed from time to time, but we all have the power to get to know our triggers and learn how to self-regulate. When an employee’s stress is work-related and is persistent, as leaders, it is our responsibility to understand the root causes by reviewing the systems, policies, procedures, skills, your management style, and all other workplace factors. Employers have a positive duty to ensure a safe environment, free from psychosocial risks. By taking the time to observe your employees and do regular wellbeing check-ins you can proactively minimise stressors in the workplace.

You must also create psychological safety where employees feel comfortable speaking up when they're feeling overwhelmed or on the way to burn out. It’s in your best interests to do so. Psychological safety is created through trust and mutual support. It’s when your employees can make a mistake and not be reprimanded but rather given opportunity to improve, it’s when your employees feel they can ask for help and feel valued for their contributions, it’s also when there is a history of being treated fairly and not subjected to any forms of inappropriate or unlawful behaviour.

The trouble is, sometimes, when stress comes from work and employees don’t feel psychologically safe, they aren’t likely to come forward and tell you that they're stressed until they make a Stress Leave Request or tender their Resignation. In this article, we will explore a three-step approach to respond effectively to workplace stress leave requests.

Step 1: Have a Conversation

When an employee requests stress leave, it is essential to approach the situation with empathy and open-mindedness. Start by thanking the employee for their honesty and avoid making assumptions about the causes of their stress. Instead, be curious about their experience and ask open-ended questions such as, "What is happening for you? There is no judgment; I want to ensure you're okay."

Listening actively and without judgment is crucial. Managing stress requires daily recovery, and unaddressed stress can lead to emotional exhaustion. As a leader, you can set the tone by normalizing rest and taking time off after peak performance periods. If an employee frequently stays back late, offer them the option to start later the next day without pay deductions or provide support to prevent overworking.

Encourage self-regulation by discussing relaxation techniques. Each individual may have different methods, such as exercise, meditation, journaling, or spending time in nature. While you can initiate this discussion, direct them to medical or allied health professionals for tailored advice.

If stress results from regular overtime, consult with HR about the Time in Lieu Policy or Personal Leave options. Remember that stress leave is not a legally mandated type of leave but is a legitimate reason to use personal leave.

An employee doesn't have to tell you their reason for taking Stress Leave. However, an employer may be within their right to ask for a medical certificate if the leave was taken as sick/personal leave, particularly if they request more than one day off. Its in your best interests to find out their reasons to ensure you can conduct a Risk Assessment.

Its best not to contact the employee while they are on stress leave as this could aggravate the situation. Instead, you could establish a connection with a friend or family member of the employee who can contact you on the employee’s behalf.

Step 2: Assess the Situation

If workplace-related stress is the issue, it is your duty as an employer to create an environment where employees feel safe sharing their concerns. If they hesitate, direct them to your HR partner. Approaching the situation with concern and receptivity can encourage employees to speak up and return to work sooner.

If the employee says ‘I’m overwhelmed and I have too much on my plate" and this was a surprise to you, ask what they have on their plate and what can be de-prioritised or delayed, what can be delegated? Given you have the bigger picture and can see where their work is in the big scheme of things, you can help them re-prioritise.

SafeWork NSW suggests completing a risk assessment to identify stress hazards in your workplace.

According to a 2022 report by Allianz Insurance, the five biggest causes of stress are usually:

• Large workloads / overtime

• Ineffective or unfair management

• Poor workplace culture

• Bullying and harassment

• Organisational structural issues

Work with your HR Partner to conduct a Risk Assessment to work out what ways of working (e.g. no. of meetings) need to be reviewed to make work more efficient (you may identify bottlenecks in work processes and systems i.e. are systems helping make work efficient or creating more work?), what skill level is required for the work this person is doing and whether they have the skills or require upskilling, whether policies and procedures are outdated and need a refresh (e.g. are there too many hoops each employee needs to go through to get approvals or do their work?).

Addressing these issues may involve reprioritizing tasks, reviewing work processes, providing training, or updating policies and procedures.

Step 3: Act to Prevent Further Issues

Create a culture of care and psychological safety through your actions. Acknowledge and reward employees who prioritize rest and work-life balance. Schedule check-ins when the employee returns from stress leave and offer the option to bring a support person. Together, create a Personal Situation Plan (PSP) to help them manage their mental health moving forward.

The PSP could include information such as:

• Their stress triggers. For example, school holidays might be a hard time for them to focus on work. Or short turnaround periods might cause them to spiral. Knowing this information upfront can help you plan ahead.

• The signs that indicate that they might be overwhelmed/on the verge of breaking down and how to help them in that moment

• People to contact in case of emergency or when they’re on stress leave

• The appropriate steps to take if they need to request stress leave in the future (i.e. who do they tell? How much notice do they need to give? Who can they hand their work over to and what should that process look like?)

• How they’d like the information to be communicated to their teams

The PSP might also identify personal stressors, if they feel comfortable disclosing them. Let’s say they have a child living with a disability who needs extra care. Maybe that’s worth noting so when they say, ‘I’m struggling to finish this project and care for my child’ you have a procedure in place to deal with that.

It’s also worth keeping in mind which stakeholders you speak to about your employee's Stress Leave, to minimise any biases. For example, if that employee is up for a promotion into a new team, but the manager of that team knows they took stress leave a few months ago, this could skew their decision. They might think, ‘So and so won’t be able to cope with the pressure’ or ‘They’re not cut out for this type of work’ when in reality, we all get stressed from time to time and just because we struggled at one point, that won’t mean we always will or that it impacts our work outcomes. Respect the employee's privacy and only share this information with necessary stakeholders to minimize biases.

In the era of remote work, it's crucial to maintain regular well-being check-ins to identify signs of burnout and stress. While you cannot eliminate all external stressors, you can proactively create a workplace and culture that prioritizes mental well-being and encourages open communication.

Workplace stress is a serious issue that can impact both employees and organizations. By following the three-step approach outlined in this article, leaders can effectively respond to workplace stress leave requests, create a culture of care and psychological safety, and ultimately promote the well-being and productivity of their employees. In doing so, they contribute to a healthier and more resilient workforce.

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