What have you done lately to recognize your manager or support them in their work–life balance? If the answer does not spring to mind, you are not alone: the same is true for many employees. While we already know that the manager plays a key role in their employees’ mental health through the behaviours the manager adopts, looking at the employees’ role in the health of their manager is less common. Yet, managers are part of the employment group that has the highest stress levels. How can employees contribute concretely to the mental health of their managers?
As part of their study, St-Hilaire, Gilbert and Brun (2018) interviewed subordinates and managers to identify the behaviours that could have an effect on psychosocial risk factors related to their managers’ mental health at work, as well as to examine whether managers perceive the same practices as those reported by subordinates.
Legend: Recommendation of our experts
Expert advisors:
- FRANCE ST-HILAIRE, associate professor, human resources management, Université de Sherbrooke
PATRICE DANEAU, doctoral student in administration, Université de Sherbrooke
Authors:
- ÉTIENNE FOUQUET, research assistant, Université de Sherbrooke
JOSÉE CHARBONNEAU, research assistant, Université de Sherbrooke
This initiative was made possible through a collaboration with the Université de Sherbrooke.
WHAT WE KNOW
Acting on psychosocial risks to promote workers’ mental health at work
Psychosocial risks (also called sources of stress) refer to aspects of work organization and management that may cause harm at the social, psychological and physical level. For example, these risks can lead to increased workloads, reduced autonomy or a lack of recognition of social support, and therefore present a threat to workers’ mental health.
Develop behaviours and leadership to act on mental health at work and psychosocial risks
More and more studies point out that the development of management behaviours and good leadership help to reduce employees’ exposure to psychosocial risks.
Aim for reciprocity for adopting practices that are good for everyone’s mental health
The manager’s ability to adopt healthy management practices is also influenced by their subordinates’ behaviours. Related to how subordinates behave, a manager can sometimes introduce psychosocial risks (e.g., not giving subordinates freedom in how they do their work, not noticing a subordinate’s work), and sometimes protective factors (e.g., celebrating their subordinate’s successes, asking about their subordinate’s workload).
Method
Data were collected in 2008–2009 in a public services organization of 10,000 employees in Quebec, Canada.
70 semi-directed interviews were conducted with employees and their managers.
In the sample of subordinates (45 employees):
- 18.6% were office staff and technical staff
- 38.5% were professional staff
- 62% were women
In the sample of managers (25 managers):
- 88% were front-line managers
- 12% were middle managers
- 48% were women
The interviews touched on psychosocial risks and aimed to identify work practices that subordinates can do to reduce these risks.
Examples of questions
To managers
- What do your subordinates do to show appreciation?
- Can you tell me about a situation where a subordinate showed you appreciation?
To subordinates
- What do you do to show appreciation to your manager?
- Can you tell me about a situation where you showed appreciation towards your manager?
Because studies must always be interpreted with caution
The participants were from a single organization in Québec (Canada); data collection in other employment sectors (e.g., the manufacturing sector) could bring out other types of practices. Also, the public organization studied is very large and hierarchical. For this reason, the study should be replicated in other contexts.
WHAT DO THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY TELL US?
38 practices that the subordinate can adopt to promote their manager’s mental health!
Whether by being supportive, standing with, contributing, building a relationship, sharing information or acting ethically, subordinates can develop 12 skills which translate into 38 concrete practices to promote managers’ mental health.
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