Which psychosocial risks a manager can reduce on their own

Psychosocial risk doesn’t mean “a problem with the employee’s mental health”

Two people do the same job, but one has a stable rota and clear priorities, while the other gets conflicting instructions from three managers every day. Their experience of work may differ markedly regardless of individual resilience. Psychosocial risks include, among other things, excessive demands, little say in how tasks are carried out, unpredictability, lack of support, conflict and harassment. In its 2026–2028 campaign, launched on 13 October 2026, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work stresses the need for systematic prevention of these risks. For a manager, the practical starting point is: “What is it about the way work is organised that stops people from doing their tasks safely and meaningfully?” That question is more useful than “Why are you all so stressed?” The conversation shouldn’t turn into an assessment of anyone’s health. What needs examining are the conditions the organisation can influence.

Demands and resources: two dimensions of the same situation

In the job demands–resources model, developed by Bakker and Demerouti among others, both the burdens and the resources that make tasks easier matter. A demand might be the number of urgent matters, difficult dealings with customers or the risk of error. A resource might be clear instructions, access to equipment, help from a colleague or a say in the order of work. This is a way of structuring the conversation, not a calculator that will work out a “safe dose” of stress. At a briefing, ask: “Which task is blocking the others today?” and “What decision do you need from me to do the work without cutting corners?” A manager can’t always reduce the number of tasks, but they can often stop demanding that five things at once be “priority number one”. If tasks are objectively impossible to complete in the time available, a motivational message is not the answer. The scope, the time or the resources have to change, or the problem has to be properly escalated.

What we really know about the health consequences

An umbrella review by Niedhammer, Bertrais and Witt brought together 72 reviews of studies on psychosocial working conditions and health outcomes. Among other things, it linked specific stressors to mental disorders and cardiovascular disease. This is an important basis for prevention, although many of the analyses relied on observational data and cannot predict the effect of a single conversation with a manager. WHO, too, recommends an organisational approach, including modifying working conditions and supporting managers. There is no basis for promising that three workshops or an app will cut absence by a particular percentage. Instead of making such promises, check specific indicators from your own organisation: overtime, hazard reports, staff turnover, the number of rescheduled on-call shifts and problems with handovers. Data won’t replace talking to people, but it will help you see whether a change to the rota or to the scope of duties is actually solving the problem.

Three changes a manager can make straight away

First, sort out priorities. At the start of the week, say what matters most, what can be postponed and who decides when deadlines clash. Second, introduce simple rules for flagging obstacles: employees should know when and to whom they can say, “We can’t do this without risking mistakes.” Third, change how you react to bad news: instead of looking for someone to blame when an issue is first reported, establish the facts and make the process safe. In a shift-based environment, make sure people who don’t work nine to five have similar access to information and decisions. These are not miracle solutions but concrete organisational changes that a manager can usually make on their own. To check whether they make sense, ask after two weeks whether people are reporting risks more often and whether fewer decisions are getting stuck between teams. Remember that a rise in the number of reports may mean greater trust in the rules for raising problems, not that work has suddenly got worse.

When you need to change working conditions, not just the way you talk

If the same team has been working overtime for six months, another appeal for better time management won’t solve the problem. The manager should set out the scale clearly: the actual hours, the missing resources, the critical tasks and the consequences of keeping the current model. Then propose options: postponing projects, extra staffing, changing the service standard or narrowing the scope. If they can’t make the changes themselves, they must ask for a decision from the director, HR or the occupational health and safety (OHS) team. The same applies to systemic harassment, conflicting targets imposed by different departments or flawed shift planning. WHO emphasises action aimed at how work is organised, not just stress-management training. Good communication helps to identify a problem faster and agree on a change, but it is no substitute for the change itself. Having raised the problem with their superiors, the manager should go back to the team and say what has been accepted, what has been rejected and what interim steps they will take.

How to talk about risk without collecting private diagnoses

Instead of asking, “Who has symptoms of burnout?”, ask: “Which parts of the work are unsustainable right now, and what needs to change?” Don’t ask people in front of others to disclose treatment, diagnoses or family circumstances. If an employee raises a health problem or a need for adjustments to their work, refer the matter to the appropriate person and procedure, respecting their privacy. At team level, talk about processes, workload and access to support, not psychological labels. Also set up three headings for your own work: “I can change this myself”, “I need a decision from higher up” and “This requires a formal OHS or HR procedure”. Every issue raised should have a specific person responsible for it, and the employee should know the deadline and get an answer. If a decision is delayed, say so. Employees often cope better with tough constraints than with the belief that nobody is responding. That is how you create a system for preventing problems, instead of yet another one-off staff climate survey.

A manager can reduce some psychosocial risks through better priorities, clear roles, a sensible division of work and a safe way to report problems. When the source of risk is staff shortages, chronic overload or abuse, organisational decisions and proper procedures are needed. Conversation should lead to action, not replace it.

How Empatyzer helps you talk about working conditions

If you lead a team in which tension is rising, describe typical situations to Em: conflicting instructions, sudden overtime, disputes over on-call shifts or fear of reporting mistakes. Em will help you turn a vague slogan like “let’s improve the atmosphere” into questions about specific working conditions. You can prepare a short briefing, a one-to-one conversation and a message about which things you are changing yourself and which you are referring to HR, OHS or the board. If Empatyzer provides a diagnosis of your team’s collaboration styles, it’s easier to see whether the current way information is shared makes it harder for some people to speak up. Em can also help you rehearse a conversation with your own manager about overload, based on data and decision options. Micro-lessons will reinforce your skills in delegating, listening and responding to difficult signals. The ultimate goal is not feeling better after a pleasant conversation, but a concrete, observable improvement in how the work is done.