Workplace stress has become a pervasive challenge across industries, with rising demands, shifting work environments, and constant connectivity contributing to employee burnout. New research from Moodle (conducted by the research consultants at Censuswide) shows that 66% of American employees are experiencing some sort of burnout in 2025. The data reveals that younger generations are facing significantly higher rates of burnout, with 81% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 83% of 25 to 34-year-olds reporting burnout, compared to just 49% of those aged 55 and older.
At HR Fit, we believe organizations must actively support their teams in managing workplace stress. A proactive approach to employee well-being isn’t just good for morale; it’s a strategic business move.
What is Workplace Stress?
Workplace stress is “the harmful physical and emotional responses that can happen when there is a conflict between job demands on the employee and the amount of control an employee has over meeting these demands.” – (Gallup.com)
Workplace stress can be triggered by various factors, including:
- Unrealistic workloads or expectations
- Lack of role clarity or autonomy
- Inadequate support from managers or peers
- Job insecurity or organizational change
- Poor work-life balance
- Toxic work environments
Unchecked, these stressors contribute to burnout, high turnover, and long-term organizational costs.
Taking Steps Toward Managing Occupational Stress
Track your stressors. Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings, and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting, and how you reacted.
Develop healthy responses. Instead of attempting to fight stress with fast food or alcohol, do your best to make healthy choices when you feel the tension rise. Healthy alternatives include engaging in hobbies, exercise, a well-balanced diet, and prioritizing sleep.
Establish boundaries. In today’s digital world, it’s easy to feel pressure to be available 24 hours a day. Establish work-life boundaries for yourself that can reduce the potential for work-life conflict and the stress that goes with it.
Take time to recharge. To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout, we need time to replenish and return to our pre-stress level of functioning. This recovery process requires “switching off” from work by having periods when you are neither engaging in work-related activities nor thinking about work. That’s why it’s critical that you disconnect from time to time in a way that fits your needs and preferences.
Learn how to relax. Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness can help melt away stress. The skill of being able to focus purposefully on a single activity without distraction will get stronger with practice and you’ll find that you can apply it to many different aspects of your life.
Talk to your supervisor. Employee health has been linked to productivity at work, so your boss has an incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being. Start by having an open conversation with your supervisor. The purpose of this isn’t to lay out a list of complaints but rather to devise an effective plan for managing the stressors you’ve identified, so you can perform at your best on the job.
Get some support. Your employer should have stress management resources available through an employee assistance program, including online information, available counseling, and referral to mental health professionals, if needed.
How Employers Can Help Employees Manage Occupational Stress
To prevent burnout as an employee, it’s important to incorporate these tips into your company:
- Implement policies and programs that support employee wellbeing. This could include flexible work arrangements and ways for employees to connect and strengthen relationships. But what’s more important is that leaders follow these policies and programs, relieving any stigma associated with taking advantage of these resources.
- Develop managers to be coaches, not bosses. Organizations that develop their managers’ skill sets to engage employees better can positively influence engagement and potentially decrease employee stress.
- Provide access to coaching or counseling services. Ensure employees know these programs are available and understand how to access them. Offering these services can help employees deal with stress and build resilience in everyday stressors beyond your organization’s control.
How We Can Help
Employee stress is not just an individual problem—it’s an organizational issue. At HR Fit, we can help alleviate stress in the workplace to ensure a healthier environment for all employees. We specialize in:
- Recruiting and Hiring: We can help you find top talent and match qualified candidates with the correct position, reducing the internal team’s workload.
- Employee Relations: We can help you through a stressful employee issue and educate you on how to resolve it effectively.
- Workforce Management: We can help align job descriptions and responsibilities to distribute workload more evenly to prevent employee burnout.
Our urgent HR support services can help manage complex employee matters in a time of need. We view our working relationship as a partnership, so you don’t have to navigate workplace challenges alone.
- Urgent Employee Relations: We can help with both major and minor challenges, such as workplace harassment or interpersonal issues among employees.
- Workplace Investigations: We can provide third-party investigation services for serious issues such as racial/gender discrimination or sexual harassment.
- Preventative HR: We will be there for you when an issue arises, but we also provide extensive coaching and education for prevention.
Are you interested in working with us to prevent workplace stress? Contact us today at 309-863-1202 for more information.
