Team Pressure Check

Most work-related stress comes from how work is designed and managed, not from individual weakness. The Health and Safety Executive groups the main causes into six areas. This worksheet turns them into a 30-minute team conversation.

Ask each person to complete Step 1 on their own, anonymously if that helps people be honest. Collect the scores, then talk about the patterns, not individual answers.

01

Step 1: rate each area (individually)

How well does each of these work for you at the moment?

1 = very poorly, 5 = very well

Statement	1	2	3	4	5
Demands: my workload and deadlines are achievable
Control: I have a say in how and when I do my work
Support: I get the help and encouragement I need
Relationships: we treat each other well, and problems get dealt with
Role: I understand what is expected of me, without conflicting demands
Change: changes are explained and I can have my say

02

Step 2: discuss (as a team)

Which area scored lowest across the team? Does that match how it feels?
What is one example of it working well, and one of it working badly?
What is within our control as a team to change?
What do we need to raise with others, and who will raise it?

Area	What we will change	Who	By when

Tip

Agree one or two changes, not ten, and come back to this sheet in three months to see what has moved.

Further guidance

Management Standards, Health and Safety Executive (https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/)

Team Pressure Check

Step 1: rate each area (individually)

Step 2: discuss (as a team)

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