Workplace distress is on the rise: according to the 2024 Empreinte Humaine study, 44% of employees (in France) report experiencing psychological distress, and 17% are at risk of severe burnout.
These alarming figures highlight a critical challenge for organisations: safeguarding the mental health of their people.
Beyond the human cost, the organisational consequences are significant — absenteeism, staff turnover, disengagement...
Fortunately, there are effective ways to act proactively.
This article presents three essential tools to help detect, prevent, and reduce psychological distress at work.
Understanding the root causes of workplace distress
Work-related distress rarely appears overnight. It builds up gradually, often silently, through accumulated stress, frustration, lack of recognition, or a misalignment between personal values and professional goals. Too often, early warning signs go unnoticed: an engaged employee becoming more withdrawn, unexplained absences piling up, or unusual irritability.
It is crucial for organisations to recognise these weak signals and take preventive action before the situation deteriorates.
Three tools to take meaningful action
1. Use MOTIVATION+ to understand what truly drives your teams
Motivation is not about pushing employees with bonuses or inspirational talks. It's primarily about understanding what internally drives each person. Everyone is motivated by different factors — some seek recognition, others autonomy or creativity.
The psychometric tool MOTIVATION+ helps identify these individual motivational drivers. With these insights, organisations can tailor their support: offering projects aligned with deeper aspirations, encouraging coherent career progression, and giving feedback or rewards that actually resonate.
Consider an employee whose main source of motivation is social contribution. If assigned to purely commercial projects with no social impact, they may quickly become disengaged. Redirecting them to high-impact social initiatives can naturally restore their engagement.
The results of this assessment act as a true compass for managers, helping to sustain their teams’ inner motivation.
2. Use e-Stress Profile to detect and diffuse risks
Stress is a complex phenomenon — it doesn’t stem solely from workload, but also from how individuals perceive and experience situations. What energises one person may overwhelm another. That’s why a personalised approach is essential.
e-Stress Profile helps assess each employee’s capacity to cope with stressful situations, as well as the specific sources of pressure they face. This gives HR and managers a clear and detailed view of vulnerability factors across their teams.
Instead of waiting for burnout symptoms to emerge, you can intervene upstream: adjust workloads, offer psychological support, or set more realistic objectives.
3. Explore EMOTION to strengthen emotional regulation
Wellbeing isn’t only shaped by external factors like workload or work environment — it’s also influenced by how individuals manage their emotions. The ability to identify, understand, and regulate one’s emotions is a powerful lever for handling tension and maintaining psychological balance.
The EMOTION tool evaluates these key emotional skills, revealing how individuals respond to emotionally demanding situations. It provides a clear picture of those who may need specific support, particularly in high-pressure or change-heavy environments.
Based on these insights, organisations can implement targeted actions such as emotional regulation workshops, coaching sessions, or collective soft skills development.
Beyond assessments, mindfulness practices are now widely recognised for their positive impact on stress reduction and overall well-being.
Introducing short mindfulness sessions in the workplace — even just a few minutes a day — can help improve focus, foster calmer conflict resolution, and reduce anxiety.
Building a sustainable wellbeing culture
These tools are only effective if integrated into a long-term, holistic approach. This includes:
- Training managers to identify early warning signs and use these tools with care and empathy
- Highlighting preventative initiatives through internal communication
- Creating a culture of trust, where individuals feel safe to speak about their difficulties without fear of judgment
This is not about adding more procedures — it’s about embedding a mindset where wellbeing is recognised as a key driver of collective success.
And what about you — what tools or initiatives have you introduced in your organisation to support your teams’ wellbeing? To try out our tools, click here.
