Workplace stress: management methods that make a difference
Stress can have negative effects on employees’ mental health and lead to absenteeism. Studies show that a management style that promotes employee autonomy helps reduce the number of sick days taken for mental health reasons.
“A team leader is not a psychologist but is nevertheless responsible for employees’ working conditions. Beyond meeting objectives, their role is to create a climate of trust and openness so that difficulties can be addressed before they turn into crises.” Leadership consultant and co-author of the book “Oktokratie – für eine sinnvolle, wirksame Zusammenarbeit” (Octocracy – for meaningful, effective collaboration), Thomas Nast points out that an unhealthy work environment often develops gradually and insidiously: “Toxic leadership rarely stems from bad intentions. A leader wants to achieve good results. Under significant pressure themselves, they may begin to exert more control, listen less, and be less tolerant of dissent. A toxic work environment can gradually take hold, weighing on employees and making open discussions more difficult.”
Professor at Zurich University of Applied Sciences and co-author of a study on the role of managers in promoting mental health, Matthias Meyer approaches the issue from a structural perspective. “There is a tension between shareholders’ profit expectations and protecting employees’ health. Pressure flows down from the top of the hierarchy and intensifies all the way down the chain. This dynamic continually pushes the limits of productivity but also increases the risk of illness and absences.”
In July 2026, a study published by insurer AXA highlighted the link between the importance placed on freedom and individual responsibility in a company’s management and the frequency of employee absences for mental health reasons. The findings showed that fewer than one-third (27%) of SMEs that promote these principles are affected by this type of absence, compared with 43% of those where these principles are less prominent. More than one-third of respondents also identified excessive workload as the main cause of these absences. “Stress management plays an essential role in protecting employees’ mental health. It is normal to have busy periods. The problem is when they never let up,” says Thomas Nast. With 42% of Swiss companies reporting an increase in costs related to these absences over the past five years, how can the risks be reduced?
Give employees greater autonomy
Creating a climate of trust can, for example, mean giving teams a certain amount of freedom in how they manage their tasks. “Employees generally cope better with pressure when they have a genuine influence over their work. Employees who can decide how to organize some of their tasks, set priorities within a clear framework, and take responsibility for their decisions retain a degree of control over a stressful situation instead of simply being subjected to it,” says Thomas Nast.
When busy periods arise, the expert recommends taking stock of the situation to clarify priorities and prevent everything from becoming urgent. “This involves talking openly with employees about their workload, but also about the atmosphere in the workplace. It also means reducing the number of meetings and unnecessary checks, and providing regular, constructive feedback.”
Adapt management training
Management training can also play an important role in reducing the risk of absences for mental health reasons. For Matthias Meyer, however, the solutions offered often remain too superficial. “A lot of management training remains too focused on productivity, and some well-being measures focus on employees’ individual behavior instead of addressing working conditions. Often, the first response when an employee is struggling will be to advise them to improve their lifestyle by exercising or paying attention to their sleep. That can be a good thing in itself, but it should not prevent management from also taking responsibility for adapting the work environment.” Thomas Nast shares this view and recommends systemic improvements: “To ensure the long-term well-being of staff, the values of trust, autonomy and openness to discussion must come from the top of the hierarchy in order to become firmly embedded in the corporate culture. An organisation cannot demand greater individual responsibility from its staff without taking the necessary decisions at the top.”