Week of Work Stress: 'Ask how things are going'

Interview on how connection leads to less miscommunication and stress. 

The theme of this year's Work Stress Week is connection. After all, better contact with your employees helps to prevent stress and absenteeism. Occupational physician Judith Laan explains how that works and what you can do for more connection and less stress in your company.

When was the last time you asked your employees how they were doing? The Week of Work Stress (Nov. 10-15, 2025) is a great occasion to ask. After all, the theme of this eighth edition is connection.

Communication problems exacerbate stress

"It's more important than you think to have good contact with the people you work with," says experienced company physician Judith Laan of ZekerArbo. "In my daily work, I see many people drop out with stress complaints. Sometimes these come from poor communication with colleagues or supervisors. For example, people are insecure and don't know if they are doing well enough. Or they have problems but are afraid to talk about them."

Those who are stressed or feel out of place on the team tend to withdraw. "And so the connection becomes increasingly loose," says Laan. "That in turn leads to poorer cooperation. For example, colleagues make wrong assumptions about what is bothering someone. And that miscommunication creates even more stress."

'Just lazy' or problems?

An example is an employee who sleeps poorly because of problems at home and therefore has trouble getting work done. He tells nothing about his worries at work and no one asks about them. The workload increases and colleagues think the employee is "just lazy. The employee feels less and less part of the team and it becomes more difficult to ask for help. Eventually, he is so stressed and unhappy that he can no longer handle the work at all.

"It can make a big difference if a supervisor or colleague asks what's going on," Laan says. "Another person may be able to ease the workload or think along about solutions. And sometimes it simply helps if someone can tell their story."

Employer happy to help, employee unaware

According to Laan, employers are generally caring about their staff. "If they know something is going on, they like to think about solutions," she says. "The problem is often lack of connection. If as an employer you normally have little contact with your employees, an employee can be quite shocked when 'the boss' suddenly asks how things are going."

That's why she advises employers to show ongoing interest. "If you keep in touch, you are also more likely to notice when someone behaves differently. Then tell what you notice, without immediately judging. In short, really get to know your people."

For some employers this is more difficult than others. "Some even think it's not allowed - private is private, right?" says Laan. "But asking how someone is doing is always allowed. The other way around, too, by the way: I myself regularly ask my supervisor how things are going."

Busy? Pay attention to it

Questions you can ask are: how are you doing? Is there anything I can do for you? If the business is busy, take a moment to discuss whether your people can handle it. "With many employers it slips in, especially during those busy periods," says Laan. "Logical, because you probably have a lot on your mind yourself. Others don't discuss it because they think 'if we don't talk about it, it doesn't exist.' Still, it is essential to take a moment with your team to reflect on this, for example during Thursday or Friday afternoon drinks."