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If an employee says work is becoming too much, make time to listen privately, agree what can change and arrange a follow-up. The NHS says managers may be able to help by agreeing priorities, adjusting workloads or finding other support.[1] For a small business, the next step could be a quiet conversation and a realistic look at this week’s work.
This guide offers practical conversation prompts for employers and managers, not clinical or legal advice. You do not need to decide whether someone has a mental health condition before asking what would make their working day more manageable.
Start with a private, unhurried conversation
Ask when and where they would feel comfortable talking. Avoid beginning a sensitive conversation across the counter, beside colleagues or while someone is trying to finish a customer order. If today is busy, agree a specific time rather than saying you will catch up when things settle down.
You might ask: “Which part of the working week feels hardest at the moment?” Let the person finish before suggesting solutions. Ask what they would like you to understand, rather than asking for a diagnosis or a detailed account of their private life.
Explain how you intend to handle the conversation and agree what needs to be shared to arrange practical help. Do not offer an absolute promise of secrecy. If you are unsure how to handle sensitive information, seek appropriate specialist guidance before passing it on.
Look at the work, not just the person’s resilience
The NHS suggests looking at workload, time pressure, uncertainty and difficult working relationships when trying to understand work stress.[1] Use those as starting points, without turning the meeting into a questionnaire.
Ask the person to walk through a recent difficult day. Was everything labelled urgent? Did they have to cover two roles? Were instructions changing halfway through a job? Ask which pressure they would change first. Avoid assuming that a suggestion to take a break answers a problem with the amount of work itself.
For your own preparation, bring the current job schedule rather than a theory about what is wrong. Compare the tasks you thought were on their plate with the tasks they describe. Include the interruptions and cover duties that might not appear in the diary.
Agree a change you can actually deliver
HSE’s current workplace guidance asks employers to turn listening into action, including reviewing workloads, communication, control over work and support.[2] Its Stress Talking Toolkit offers structured conversation prompts; the toolkit is part of a wider approach, not a complete solution by itself.[2]
A useful question is: “What can we change before our next check-in?” You could propose postponing a non-urgent task or agreeing who decides when competing requests arrive. Discuss the proposal with the person rather than presenting it as something already settled.
Be clear about what you can authorise. If a change needs the owner’s agreement, say who will ask and when you will come back with an answer. Do not promise extra staffing or a different shift pattern unless you can deliver it. If the first idea is not possible, explain why and return to the problem together.
Write down actions and check whether they helped
HSE recommends reviewing whether actions are working and making conversations about work stress routine.[2] Before ending the meeting, agree a follow-up date. Ask what a useful improvement would look like from the employee’s point of view.
Keep the practical agreement brief: what will change, who will arrange it and when you will review it. Share the agreed actions with the person so they can correct anything you have misunderstood. Avoid turning your notes into a medical assessment.
At the next meeting, ask about the actual working week. Did the postponed task stay postponed, or return through someone else’s request? Was the revised handover useful? If the change did not help, revisit the workload rather than treating the conversation as completed. You can also ask yourself whether the same pressure needs a wider team discussion, without identifying the individual.
Know the limits of your role
Your role in this conversation is to listen and consider workplace changes. If stress is affecting someone’s daily life or mental health, the NHS points towards speaking to a GP or seeking mental health support.[1] Offer information without trying to choose treatment for them.
For someone who needs to talk, Samaritans is free on 116 123, day or night, across the UK.[3] For urgent mental health help in England, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option.[4] If someone’s life is at risk or you cannot keep yourself or someone else safe, call 999 or go to A&E now.[4]
Start today by setting aside time for a conversation you can follow through on. Agree one practical next step and put the review in the diary. The MH360 Businesses & Employers hub is another place to explore information for the people behind a business.
Sources
[2] HSE: Listen, identify and act on work-related stress
