Work-Related Stress: Early Signs, Causes and What to Do

Dealing with stress at work can feel overwhelming. Knowing what to do or where to turn is not always obvious. This series of articles is designed to help. 

Over the coming stages, we cover the full journey from the moment something starts to feel different at work, through raising concerns, navigating formal processes, understanding your legal rights and ultimately recovery, whatever that looks like for you. 

• Stage 1 (this article): Work-Related Stress: Early Signs, Causes and What to Do
• Stage 2: Making Your Situation Visible: How to Report Stress in the Workplace  
• Stage 3: An Employers Duty of Care: What Your Employer Must Do Once They Know About Your Workplace Stress
• Stage 4: Deterioration, Absence and Recovery: A Guide to Taking Time Off Work for Stress
• Stage 5: Legal Strategy After Workplace Stress: How Work Related Stress Claims Work
• Stage 6: Litigation and Preparing for Trial: What to Expect From a Workplace Stress Claim
• Stage 7: Aftermath and Recovery: Life After Workplace Stress and What Comes Next
• Stages overview 

This first article is for anyone who is noticing something has changed at work and is trying to make sense of it and what they should do next. 

Summary of this stage 

Work-related stress rarely arrives all at once. It builds gradually, through small shifts in pressure, support, and how you feel about going to work. Whether you are questioning your own experience or starting to look for answers, this is where the process begins. By recognising the early symptoms of work-related stress, understanding the most common causes and taking simple, practical steps, you can help protect yourself before things escalate. 

How does stress at work start? 

Work-related stress and psychological harm rarely begin with a single defining moment. More often, people describe a gradual shift: increased pressure, tension with colleagues or managers, exposure to difficult situations, or a growing sense that expectations have become unmanageable. It can be difficult to distinguish between normal workplace pressure and an environment that is beginning to affect your wellbeing. 

It is common for individuals to question themselves:  

• “Am I overreacting?”
• “Is this just part of the job?”
• “Should I just push through?”  

Understandably at this stage, most people are not thinking about formal complaints, let alone legal claims. They are trying to cope, maintain performance, and avoid being seen as difficult or unable to manage pressure. Yet for many, this is where the story begins. 

How can Setfords help?

David Miers is a consultant solicitor specialising exclusively in work-related stress and psychiatric injury claims. He is based in Liverpool but can represent clients nationwide on a fully remote basis. He joined Setfords in 2019 and previously led the Work-Related Stress team at Slater u0026 Gordon after training at Weightmans.

Reach out today

Symptoms of work-related stress: what are the early warning signs?

Early warning signs may include: 

• Persistent anxiety before work 
• Difficulty sleeping 
• Dread about certain meetings or individuals 
• Feeling overwhelmed at work – particularly when demands feel unmanageable
• Emotional exhaustion 
• Feeling isolated or unsupported 
• Difficulty concentrating or maintaining your usual performance 

Many people minimise these experiences at first, assuming they are temporary or a personal failing. In reality, these early signals are often the first indicators that something within the workplace environment is changing and having an impact on your health. 

Understanding the causes of work-related stress: how do I know if what I’m experiencing is normal work pressure or something more serious? 

Stress at work rarely appears overnight. 

One of the most consistent patterns across work-related stress cases is that the problem develops gradually. People often continue functioning well on the surface while privately struggling. Performance may remain high, responsibilities continue, and outwardly everything appears normal. 

Internally, however, the experience can feel very different. There may be: 

• Increasing pressure without relief 
• Reduced support from managers 
• Tension within teams 
• Exposure to emotionally difficult situations 
• Growing expectations with fewer resources 

The key issue is not whether work is demanding. Many roles are demanding by nature. The question is whether those demands are becoming harmful or unsustainable. Understanding this distinction is often the first moment of clarity for people experiencing early stress at work. 

The four common pathways into work-related stress claims 

Although every situation is different, most work-related stress cases tend to develop from a small number of recurring themes. Understanding these common causes can help bring clarity on the steps to take next.  

1. Overwork and excessive demands 

One of the most common triggers is sustained workload pressure. This may involve: 

• Unrealistic deadlines 
• Long working hours becoming the norm 
• Responsibilities increasing without additional support 
• Reduced staffing or restructuring 
• Pressure to perform despite obvious capacity limits 

Initially, individuals often try to keep up. They work longer, take work home, and absorb the pressure. Over time, exhaustion builds, concentration declines, and work anxiety increases. What begins as “a busy period” can gradually become chronic work-related stress. 

2. Bullying and workplace conflict 

Stress can also develop from interpersonal dynamics. This may include: 

• Undermining behaviour 
• Excessive criticism 
• Exclusion from meetings or decisions 
• Aggressive management styles 
• Persistent conflict with colleagues or supervisors 
• Harassment 

Many people struggle to identify bullying early on. They may question whether they are being too sensitive or misinterpreting the situation, but repeated negative interactions can erode confidence, create dread about work, and lead to significant psychological strain. 

3. Exposure to traumatic situations 

Some roles involve exposure to distressing material or events. This can arise in sectors such as: 

• Healthcare 
• Emergency services 
• Social work 
• Education 
• Legal and investigative roles 

Repeated exposure to trauma, distressing cases, or emotionally charged environments can gradually affect mental wellbeing. Individuals may experience intrusive thoughts, emotional fatigue, or a sense of detachment. 

This is not a sign of weakness; it is a recognised psychological response. 

4. Lack of support 

Sometimes the issue is not the workload or environment itself, but the absence of support. When asked, it is not unusual for employees to be unable to specify the exact support they need. Common examples are: 

• Managers not responding to or failing to validate concerns – this is a big one! 
• Absence of meaningful feedback 
• Limited access to occupational health 
• Unclear expectations 
• Feeling isolated within the workplace 

When people feel unsupported, even manageable challenges can become overwhelming. Over time, the sense of isolation can be as damaging as the pressure itself. 

How Setfords can support you.

If you are experiencing bullying at work, getting the right legal advice can make a significant difference. The experienced employment solicitors at Setfords provide clear, practical guidance to help you understand your rights and explore your options if you are facing workplace bullying or harassment.

Contact us

The emotional experience at this stage 

Emotionally, this phase can feel confusing. People often describe: 

• Continuing to perform while struggling privately 
• Reluctance to speak up 
• Fear of damaging their career 
• Concern about being labelled “difficult” 
• Uncertainty about whether their experience is valid 

Professional identity can make this harder. High achievers, professionals, and people in leadership roles often find it especially difficult to admit they are struggling. However, when you think about it, why should the brain be any more robust than any other part of the body? Do people have the same hangups for a heart condition or liver disease, for example. 

A useful way to understand workplace mental health is to ask how the situation would be handled if it involved a physical injury. In many cases, this comparison brings clarity for both employees and employers about the level of support and adjustment that may be needed. Recognising these early patterns is critical. This is not about weakness; it is about awareness. 

What can I do about work-related stress at this stage? 

1. A shift to awareness 

At this stage, the focus is not on escalation but awareness. Noticing changes in workload, behaviour, communication, or support can help you understand whether what you are experiencing is temporary pressure or something more structural. 

Pay attention to: 

• How issues arise 
• How often they occur 
• How managers respond 
• Whether support is offered 
• Whether patterns repeat 

These observations often become important later, even if no action is taken immediately. 

2. Documenting early concerns and why it matters 

Many people do not realise how valuable early records can be. This does not mean preparing for a legal claim. It simply means keeping track of: 

• Workload changes 
• Difficult interactions 
• Emails raising concerns 
• Meetings where issues were discussed 
• Any requests for support 

Over time, this creates a clearer picture of what is happening and how it is being handled. It may also help to have a record when attempting to draft a grievance should the issues not resolve. 

3. Should I speak to my manager about how I’m feeling? 

Raising concerns early can feel difficult and people often worry about: 

• Being seen as unable to cope 
• Damaging relationships 
• Appearing confrontational 

Many issues can be resolved when raised constructively and early, as managers can be unaware of the impact of workload, behaviour, or team dynamics. 

Expert Insight 

“Ensure all important conversations are followed up in writing. It never ceases to amaze me how different a conversation can be remembered (or forgotten!) by the people involved, particularly if they’re asked about it weeks, months or even years later. Emails are a great way to ensure you have something to rely upon further down the line if needs be. The key point is this: early intervention often changes outcomes.” 

Does stress become legally relevant at this stage? 

At this early stage, most people are not thinking about legal options for dealing with work-related stress. The focus is on coping, maintaining performance and avoiding conflict. However, the way situations are handled early on can shape what happens later if a claim develops. Patterns begin to form: 

• How workload is managed 
• How concerns are received 
• How managers respond 
• Whether support is offered 
• Whether warning signs are recognised 

Over time, these patterns may become significant and some cases, sustained workplace stress leads to recognised psychological injury. The aim here is to prevent clinical injury and the need for a claim. 

Could my work-related stress qualify as a disability?

There is a separate legal framework where mental health conditions meet the threshold of disability. 

Stress, anxiety, and depression may qualify where they: 

• Have a substantial impact 
• Last, or are expected to last, 12 months or more 
• Affect your day-to-day functioning 

Where this threshold is met, employers may have duties to make reasonable adjustments. These might include: 

• Workload changes 
• Flexible working arrangements 
• Altered reporting structures 
• Additional supervision or support 
• Modified absence procedures 

The purpose of adjustments is to enable individuals to continue working safely and effectively. Failure to recognise or respond appropriately to mental health conditions can, in some situations, lead to discrimination issues alongside broader stress concerns. 

You can find out more about stress at work and disability discrimination in Stage 5: Legal strategy after workplace stress. 

Why the early stage matters 

By the time a situation becomes serious, the foundations have often already been laid. This stage is where awareness begins and it is often where the direction of everything that follows is shaped. 

• Communication patterns 
• Management responses 
• Support offered (or not offered) 

All of these begin in the early phase. Most people do not start by thinking about claims. They want their working environment to improve. They want to cope and to continue doing their job. 

Recognising the early symptoms of work-related stress is not about escalation. It is about understanding what is happening, and why it matters. 

Setfords is here to support.

We have a specialist solicitor in u003ca href=u0022https://www.setfords.co.uk/our-people/profile/david_miers/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022u003eDavid Miersu003c/au003e who is highly experienced in this area of work and is one of the few UK specialists in work-related stress claims. David has a proven track record with millions of pounds of compensation recovered for clients since joining Setfords in 2017.

Reach out today

What’s next? 

This article has covered the earliest stage of work-related stress: what it looks like, why it develops, and what steps you can take before anything becomes formal. 

The key points to take away are: 

• Workplace stress often develops gradually. Recognising the early signs matters 
• There are four common contributors to workplace stress: overwork, conflict, trauma exposure, and lack of support 
• Keeping records early is valuable, even if you are not planning to take action 
• Raising concerns with your manager, and following up in writing, can change outcomes 
• Some mental health conditions may qualify as a disability, triggering additional legal protections 

The next article in this series, Making Your Situation Visible: How to Report Stress in the Workplace, looks at what happens once you have recognised that something is wrong. It covers how your workplace should respond to your stress, to either stabilise the situation or put you in a stronger position if matters progress.