What are the signs and symptoms of staff stress?

Many of the outward signs and symptoms of stress in your staff should be readily noticeable, although the indications will vary considerably between individuals.  Stress triggers a number of changes in the body's processes.  These changes are often complex and may be categorised as:

Emotional: frustration, nervousness, depression, worrying tension, mood swings, easily discouraged, crying spells, irritability, dread, helplessness
 
Mental: forgetfulness, poor concentration, confusion, making mistakes, negative attitude, boredom, lethargy, lack of motivation, accident prone

Behavioural: deteriorating relationships with colleagues, irritability, indecisiveness, absenteeism, excessive smoking, excessive drinking, overeating, etc

Physical: headaches, dizziness, teeth grinding, insomnia, stomach problems, frequent colds and general aches and pains

Social: Isolation, lashing out, clamming up, lowered sex drive, nagging, less contact with friends and colleagues

Stress, when prolonged or particularly intense, may lead to longer term health problems such as

• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• ulcers
• thyroid disorders
• gastrointestinal disturbances
• psychological effects, such as anxiety and depression

Stress can also have detrimental consequences for your team and the University. It can lead to

• an increase in sickness absence, which can result in workloads being shared among the other staff in your team and possibly causing them stress
• reduced staff morale
• reduced staff performance
• your staff seeking alternative employment, giving the University the expense of recruiting, inducting, and training replacement staff