Over the years, working with managers and employees across a wide range of organisations, I’ve heard countless versions of the same story. People rarely describe their work as inherently stressful, and it’s rarely about an individual’s inability to cope. Instead, what comes up again and again is how the work is organised, led and communicated.
Expectations aren’t clear. Workloads grow without anyone helping to prioritise. Managers are constantly firefighting rather than planning. Decisions are made elsewhere and not explained. People are left feeling unsupported, out of their depth, or quietly wondering whether they’re doing a good enough job.
In my experience, this is where workplace stress most often takes hold. Not because people lack resilience, but because the conditions around them make it hard to work well.
Management style is consistently cited as one of the most common causes of workplace stress. The CIPD’s 2025 Health & Wellbeing at Work Report, as with previous years, highlights this clearly. Yet many organisations still tend to treat stress as something that sits primarily with the individual — focusing on resilience, coping strategies or personal wellbeing, rather than something shaped by everyday management practices.
None of this usually comes from bad intent. Most managers I work with genuinely want to do the right thing. But good intentions don’t automatically translate into lower stress. That’s the key point; a manager’s role in stress prevention isn’t just about not being a bad manager. It’s a much more active part of everyday management.
Stress prevention happens in the day-to-day
In practice, stress is shaped by how work is designed, organised and led. Line managers sit right at the intersection between organisational demands and employees’ day-to-day experience. They translate strategy into tasks, priorities and conversations.
That means:
- their behaviour can directly protect or undermine wellbeing
- they act as gatekeepers, influencing workload, flexibility, role clarity and exposure to pressure
- they are often the first to notice signs that someone is struggling and can support access to help early
Because of this, managers can either reduce pressure or unintentionally add to it. There is a strong research base behind this. Studies consistently show that manager behaviour is one of the strongest predictors of employee wellbeing, engagement and stress-related outcomes.
So what does stress prevention actually look like in practice?
Making stress prevention practical: the MCPARS framework
The Management Competencies for Preventing and Reducing Stress (MCPARS) is a behaviour-based framework identifying the everyday management behaviours that prevent and reduce work-related stress. It was developed through over 20 years of global research led by Affinity Health at Work, and was produced in collaboration with the HSE and CIPD.
What I value about MCPARS is how closely it reflects what people recognise from real working life. It doesn’t turn managers into therapists, and it doesn’t add a long list of extra wellbeing tasks. Instead, it focuses on how managers already manage, and how small, realistic shifts in behaviour can make a meaningful difference.
The framework identifies four areas of everyday management behaviour that matter most: being respectful and responsible; managing and communicating work; managing the individual within the team; and managing difficult situations.
Being respectful and responsible
Imagine a manager who remains calm and consistent, even when under pressure. They follow through on what they say, so their actions match their words. They create a stable emotional climate where it feels safe to speak up, regardless of what kind of day they are having.
They plan work thoughtfully, reducing unnecessary last-minute urgency, and encourage different ways of working rather than insisting on a single ‘right’ way. For most people, that kind of predictability is grounding. When you know where you stand, stress reduces.
Manager integrity, fairness and emotional regulation are strongly linked to lower stress and higher engagement. This isn’t about being endlessly upbeat. It’s about being fair, proportionate and reliable, especially when things go wrong.
Managing and communicating work
Now think about a manager who is clear about what matters most. They explain expectations, involve the team in decisions where it makes sense, and help people prioritise when everything feels urgent. They keep the team informed about what’s happening in the wider organisation and are open when plans need to change.
Work is actively managed rather than left to drift. Issues are picked up early, roles and responsibilities are clear, and work is shared fairly across the team. Decisions aren’t always popular, but they are explained.
In my experience, people often don’t feel stressed because they are busy; they feel stressed because they are uncertain. Unclear priorities, conflicting messages and shifting goalposts create pressure very quickly. Managers who communicate well and actively manage work act as a buffer between organisational demands and their teams. This is one of the strongest predictors of both wellbeing and team effectiveness.
Managing the individual within the team
When a manager really knows their people, they make time for regular one-to-ones and choose conversation over long email chains. They are visible and approachable, respond promptly, and make it clear that they are available.
They notice when someone is quieter than usual, seems under pressure or just not themselves, and they don’t ignore it. This isn’t about becoming a counsellor. It’s about paying attention, listening, and taking a genuine interest in the person behind the role.
When people feel seen and supported, they are more likely to raise issues early, before pressure turns into stress-related absence or disengagement. That early awareness is one of the most effective forms of prevention.
Managing difficult situations
Finally, imagine a manager who doesn’t shy away from difficult situations. Conflict is a good example. Through my work as a workplace mediator, I’ve seen how much stress is caused not by conflict itself, but by conflict that is avoided.
Small tensions grow because no one feels able to step in, or because avoidance feels like the safer option. We all have different comfort levels with conflict, but managers who address issues early, deal with them objectively, and use support such as HR or occupational health when needed, significantly reduce stress within their teams.
The same applies to bullying behaviour or supporting people through incidents of abuse. Whether stress escalates into longer-term harm frequently depends on whether managers act early and feel supported to do so.
These behaviours can be learned – but managers need support
One of the most important findings from the MCPARS research is that there is no single ‘key’ behaviour that managers must get right. Effective management of work and wellbeing depends on a combination of behaviours across all four areas, working together and reinforcing each other.
Crucially, these are not fixed traits. They are skills that can be learned and strengthened. Through our work at Affinity Health at Work, we’ve seen that with the right training, feedback and space to reflect, managers can develop these behaviours and deliver tangible benefits for individuals, teams and organisations.
Despite this, most managers are not given the training or support they need. Managing people well is demanding. Many managers are under pressure themselves, juggling competing priorities, sometimes with limited support. Investing in managers and recognising that their wellbeing matters too is one of the most effective ways organisations can prevent stress at its source.
Where organisations and managers need to focus next
If there’s one takeaway from both the research and experience, it’s this: ask yourself whether your managers have the skills, time and support to manage work well? Are they are equipped to deal with pressure, conflict and uncertainty, or are they expected to learn by trial and error? And are you developing managers in a way that reflects the realities of the role they’re being asked to do?
For managers themselves, it starts with reflection. How predictable am I under pressure? How clearly do I prioritise work? How quickly do I address issues that feel uncomfortable? And do my behaviours reduce pressure for my team or add to it?
Stress prevention doesn’t require perfect managers. But it does require organisations to take manager capability seriously, and to support managers to develop the behaviours that make work sustainable.
Ultimately, preventing stress at work isn’t about quick fixes or ticking wellbeing boxes. It’s about strengthening the everyday management practices that shape people’s experience of work, and addressing pressure at its source rather than reacting once problems escalate.
At Affinity Health at Work, we support organisations to take this more practical, preventative approach. Our evidence-based services include Stress Risk Assessments which help organisations understand where pressure is really coming from; Stress Management Competency Reviews which give managers structured feedback on the behaviours that make the biggest difference and Senior Leadership Training and Coaching to help leaders role-model healthy, effective management.Used together, these approaches help organisations move beyond short-term solutions, protecting wellbeing, strengthening management capability, and supporting sustainable performance over time.
About the author:
Francoise Woolley is a Senior Consultant at Affinity Health at Work, with a strong commitment to helping people and workplaces thrive. With a background in psychology, workplace mediation and executive coaching, she works with organisations to improve wellbeing, build trust, and strengthen everyday management practices. Her approach is grounded in evidence, but shaped by extensive experience of real working environments.
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