5 causes of stress in the workplace – Employment guide

By
Bites Editor
-
0
440

Workplace stress is rarely caused by one dramatic event. It usually builds from everyday pressures, unclear expectations, and avoidable friction. When you can name the drivers, you can reduce them through practical changes that protect performance, wellbeing, and legal compliance.

Key takeaways

  • Stress usually has operational causes you can fix, not “weakness” you must tolerate.

  • Workload and poor role clarity are two of the most common drivers.

  • Conflict, bullying, and harassment are stress multipliers and legal risks.

  • Change without communication creates uncertainty and disengagement.

  • Early intervention costs less than crises, resignations, and disputes.

What “workplace stress” means in an employment context

Workplace stress happens when job demands exceed a person’s resources, control, or support for a sustained period. It can show up as fatigue, irritability, mistakes, absenteeism, conflict, and burnout.

Stress is not always “the employee’s problem”. In South Africa, employers have duties to provide a working environment that is safe and without risk to employees’ health, and to manage workplace harassment risks through policies and procedures.

1) Unmanageable workload and time pressure

High workload becomes stressful when it stays high for too long, with no recovery time.

What it looks like

  • Constant “urgent” work and unrealistic deadlines

  • Regular after-hours messages and weekend catch-up

  • Too few staff for the volume of work

  • No time for planning, training, or proper handovers

Why it causes stress

People feel trapped in a cycle of reacting, not doing quality work. They start to expect failure, which increases anxiety and reduces output.

Practical fixes

  • Recalculate capacity using real time, not “best case” assumptions

  • Remove low-value tasks and simplify approvals

  • Rotate peak-load responsibilities

  • Set “no meeting” blocks for deep work

2) Role ambiguity and conflicting expectations

People cope better with hard work than with unclear work.

What it looks like

  • “Do everything” job descriptions

  • Multiple managers giving different instructions

  • Goals that change weekly

  • Performance reviews based on unspoken expectations

Why it causes stress

Uncertainty creates constant vigilance. People spend energy guessing what “good” looks like, instead of delivering it.

Practical fixes

  • Clarify responsibilities, priorities, and decision rights in writing

  • Define what success looks like for the next 30–90 days

  • Use one accountable manager per deliverable

  • Agree escalation rules when priorities clash

3) Poor management style and lack of support

Stress spikes when people feel watched, judged, or abandoned.

What it looks like

  • Micromanagement and constant checking

  • “Gotcha” feedback with no coaching

  • Public criticism or sarcasm

  • Managers who avoid conflict until it explodes

Why it causes stress

People stop taking healthy risks. They hide mistakes and disengage, which creates more problems and more pressure.

Practical fixes

  • Train managers on coaching, delegation, and feedback rhythms

  • Use regular one-on-ones with clear agendas

  • Give psychological safety, not “nice vibes”

  • Recognise effort and progress, not only outcomes

4) Interpersonal conflict, bullying, and harassment

Workplace conflict is normal. Unmanaged conflict becomes a health, culture, and legal problem.

What it looks like

  • Ongoing hostility, exclusion, or gossip

  • Threats, intimidation, or humiliation

  • Sexual harassment, racial harassment, or other discriminatory harassment

  • Complaints that get ignored or minimised

Why it causes stress

People feel unsafe and hyper-alert. They also lose trust in the organisation if leaders do nothing.

Practical fixes

  • Implement a clear anti-harassment policy and reporting routes

  • Investigate promptly and fairly

  • Protect complainants and witnesses from retaliation

  • Use mediation early for conflicts that are not misconduct

Tip: Even when performance is the issue, handle it professionally. A harsh approach can create unnecessary conflict and stress.

5) Organisational change, instability, and poor communication

Change is stressful when people lack information and control.

What it looks like

  • Restructures with vague timelines

  • Frequent leadership changes

  • Rumours filling a communication vacuum

  • People learning decisions “through the grapevine”

Why it causes stress

Uncertainty triggers threat responses. People assume the worst, which drives turnover and low morale.

Practical fixes

  • Communicate what you know, what you don’t, and when you will know more

  • Explain the “why” and what stays the same

  • Provide support during transitions (training, check-ins, EAP access)

  • Track stress hotspots in affected teams

What employers should do

  • Do a stress risk scan: workload, overtime patterns, absenteeism, grievances, turnover, and hotspots by team.

  • Fix the basics first: staffing levels, role clarity, and manager capability.

  • Build reporting pathways: harassment, bullying, and conflict need safe routes and fast action.

  • Document decisions: workload adjustments, support offered, investigations, and outcomes.

  • Support early and consistently: encourage employees to raise issues before they become crises.

What employees should know

  • Stress is real, and you can raise it early through internal channels like a grievance process.

  • Keep records of workloads, deadlines, messages, and requests for support.

  • Ask for clarity in writing if expectations conflict.

  • Use available support such as an EAP, wellness resources, or HR processes.

  • If conditions become intolerable, get advice before resigning, because constructive dismissal cases have specific requirements and processes.

Tax and regulatory considerations

  • EAP and wellbeing support: Employer-funded wellness and counselling programmes may have tax implications depending on how they are structured and provided. Treat benefits consistently and get payroll advice when in doubt.

  • Injury-on-duty and occupational disease: In some circumstances, severe psychological harm linked to workplace events may intersect with COIDA-related processes, depending on the facts and medical evidence.

FAQ: 5 causes of stress in the workplace

Is stress an “occupational health and safety” issue?

It can be. Health and safety duties include maintaining a workplace that does not create avoidable risks to employee health. Stress risks often come from workload, conflict, harassment, and unsafe systems.

Can stress be grounds for sick leave?

Yes. If a medical practitioner certifies the absence, stress-related conditions can be treated like other medical conditions for sick leave purposes.

How do I prove my workload is unreasonable?

Track objective evidence: volumes, deadlines, overtime, backlogs, staffing levels, and examples of competing instructions. Ask for prioritisation in writing.

What should an employer do after a stress complaint?

Acknowledge it, assess risks, and act. That could include workload adjustments, role clarification, manager intervention, mediation, or formal investigation where misconduct is alleged.

Can I resign due to stress and claim constructive dismissal?

Possibly, but it is not automatic. You generally need to show the employer made continued employment intolerable, and that you tried reasonable internal steps first, unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Sources



RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here