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Psychosocial risks (PSR): 10 difficult everyday situations and how to respond
The difficulties related to psychosocial risks (PSR) almost never take the form of a spectacular crisis. They slip into the daily life of the nearby manager: a colleague who is silent in a meeting, tears in a hallway, a “that’s fine” that sounds false, a delay that is too much, a confidence at the end of the day. The real question is not “what are psychosocial risks (PSR): what to do?” in the absolute, but “what to do, here, now, in front of this person.”
Dans cet article
La formation associée
Here are ten of these ordinary scenes, described as they occur. For each: what is really happening behind the behavior, the spontaneous reaction that worsens the situation, and the course of action to take — with the exact words to say, the posture to adopt, and what to put in place to prevent it from happening again. The goal is not to make you a therapist, but to make you useful at the right moment, in your role and within its limits.
The essentials in 30 seconds
Most RPS situations that land with the nearby manager require neither diagnosis nor lengthy speeches: they require to observe a fact, to open a space for dialogue, and to direct to the right place.
- Describe an observable fact, never a label (“demotivated”, “fragile”): this is what makes the exchange possible and legitimate.
- The manager is not a caregiver: their role is to identify, listen without interpreting, and relay to the right interlocutors (occupational health, HR, listening line).
- Acting early costs infinitely less than managing a degraded situation or a long absence.
- What is not recorded disappears: a written and factual report protects the person, the team, and yourself.
- In the face of a vital risk or acute distress, we do not seek to understand: we protect and alert the emergency services in your country.
1. He doesn't say anything in meetings anymore
Monday team meeting. A usually proactive colleague has not said anything for a few weeks. He arrives, sits at the back, looks at his screen, and no longer speaks. When you ask him, he responds with “I'm fine,” and nothing more. No one has reported anything.
What is happening: social withdrawal is one of the earliest and most underestimated warning signs of RPS. According to the National Institute for Research and Safety (INRS), withdrawal and decreased involvement are among the possible manifestations of suffering at work. It is not necessarily disengagement: it can indicate overload, a latent conflict, a feeling of no longer being heard, or a personal difficulty. Interpreted as demotivation, this silence leads to reproaches that accelerate the withdrawal. The classic trap is to wait: one thinks that the person will eventually come back on their own, or that insisting would be intrusive. However, the longer the withdrawal lasts, the more it solidifies, and the more difficult it becomes to talk about it without the conversation taking on the appearance of a summons.
- Name the fact, not the intention. In a one-on-one, never in front of the team: “I've noticed that you are participating less for a few weeks. I wanted to check in on you.”
- Open up, then let silence do its work. Ask an open question — “How are you doing at work these days?” — and be silent. Count to five before rephrasing.
- Do not try to solve everything in the exchange. Your role is to open the door, not to diagnose. “What would help you, concretely?” is better than ten pieces of advice.
- Propose a dated follow-up point. “Shall we check in again on Friday?” shows that the attention was not just a formality.
To prevent this from happening again: establish regular, short, and predictable individual check-ins, even when everything is going well. A colleague who is used to a space for exchange does not wait until things go wrong to speak up, and withdrawal becomes noticeable much earlier.
❌ To avoid: “You don't seem motivated right now” — a judgment that puts the person on the defensive and closes the conversation before it starts.
2. She breaks down and bursts into tears
End of the day, your office. You bring up a delayed file in a normal tone, and your interlocutor starts crying, without you seeing it coming. She immediately apologizes: “I'm sorry, it's silly, it will pass.” You don't know what to do with your hands.
What is happening: tears are a release, rarely related to the file itself. They often signal an accumulated overflow — workload, tensions, personal difficulties spilling over into work. The reflex to minimize (“it's nothing”) or to want to resolve the file at all costs adds pressure at a moment when it is least needed. Crying in front of your manager is often experienced as a shameful loss of control: how you welcome this moment will determine whether the person will dare to come back and talk to you before reaching that point.
- Immediately suspend the subject. “Let's put the file aside; it can wait. Right now, we are talking about you.”
- Allow the emotion. “Take the time you need; there is no problem.” Offer a tissue, remain calm, do not dramatize.
- Do not ask the why question too quickly. Wait for calm to return, then: “Would you like to say a word about it, or would you prefer to talk about it later?”
- Guide if necessary. Remind them of the existence of occupational health, the listening cell, or HR services: “You don't have to carry this alone; there are people whose job it is.”
To prevent this from happening again: once calm has returned, look for what caused the overflow — often an accumulation, rarely the current file. Addressing the cause upstream (workload, deadlines, recognition) is better than waiting for the next overflow.
❌ To avoid: “Come on, it's not that serious” or “you need to put it into perspective” — phrases that invalidate the feeling and teach the person not to show anything.
3. “It's fine, I'm managing” — signs of exhaustion
For weeks, he arrives early, leaves late, responds to emails in the evening and on weekends. He seems irritable, forgets things, says he is “overwhelmed but it's fine.” You hesitate: he is your most reliable team member, and he never complains.
What is happening: it is often among the most invested that professional exhaustion settles most quietly. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes burnout as a syndrome related to unmanaged chronic work stress, combining exhaustion, mental distance from work, and decreased effectiveness. This is not a diagnosis you make — that is for the doctor — but a set of signs you can spot and report.
- Start with concrete observations, not a feeling. “I've seen emails from you at 11 PM several nights, and you've mentioned two forgetfulness incidents this week. That concerns me.”
- Question the actual workload, not the willingness. “Let's look together at your workload: what can be postponed, delegated, or abandoned?” The problem is organizational before it is individual.
- Act on what depends on you. Prioritizing, removing a task, setting connection hours: these are managerial levers, not favors.
- Guide towards occupational health without waiting for a complaint: “I suggest you make an appointment with occupational health; it's confidential and it can help clarify things.”
To prevent this from happening again: monitor discreet indicators — late emails, unused vacation, worked weekends — and establish collective disconnection rules. What truly protects is not the individual vigilance of the manager, but a work organization that does not rely on constant overreach.
❌ To avoid: praising the overload (“thankfully I can count on you”) — a reinforcement that pushes the person one step further towards exhaustion.
4. Two colleagues are no longer speaking to each other
Two team members are avoiding each other. Exchanges are happening via email, in visible copy, in a terse tone. Others are starting to choose sides. The atmosphere in the open space has cooled, and two meetings have been unnecessarily tense.
What is happening: an untreated interpersonal conflict is a recognized psychosocial risk factor. The Gollac report (2011), a reference in France on RPS factors, identifies deteriorated social relations at work among the major families of risk factors. Left without intervention, a conflict between two people contaminates the entire team and transforms into collective suffering.
- First, meet each one separately. Objective: understand the facts, not to arbitrate. “I've sensed some tensions. I would like to hear how you are experiencing the situation.”
- Stick to the facts and their effects on work. This is not a tribunal of personalities: “What is, concretely, blocking work between you?”
- Set a common framework, not a forced reconciliation. We do not ask to like each other, but to cooperate. Formalize clear operating rules.
- Request a third party if the conflict exceeds your scope: HR, mediation. If you suspect harassment, the situation changes in nature (see situation 9).
To prevent this from happening again: clarify roles, responsibilities, and team operating rules in advance. Many conflicts arise from ambiguity — about who decides, who does what, who is accountable — much more than from personality incompatibility.
❌ To avoid: letting things happen in the hope that “it will settle down,” or publicly siding with one — two mistakes that permanently establish factions.
5. Repeated delays and absences
A punctual colleague for years is accumulating delays and short absences for two months. He provides justifications, apologizes, but the reason remains unclear. Some team members are starting to find it unfair.
What is happening: a change in behavior in a reliable person is a signal, not a fault to be sanctioned outright. Delays and micro-absences can indicate a professional difficulty (loss of meaning, apprehension of a task, conflict) or personal (health, caregiving, family situation). The immediate disciplinary reflex closes the door to the only useful thing: understanding.
- Observe without accusing. “In the last two months, I've noted several delays, which is not like you. Is something going on?”
- Distinguish the framework from the person. You can remind the rules while remaining attentive: the two do not oppose each other.
- Look for a concrete and temporary solution if a need arises: schedule adjustments, revised priorities, guidance towards an appropriate interlocutor.
- Document the exchange and the agreed follow-up. A factual report protects everyone and prevents the situation from drifting in one direction or another.
To prevent this from happening again: address the topic as soon as the first deviations occur, without waiting for them to become a source of tension in the team. A kind and early exchange almost always defuses what a late and harsh reminder only exacerbates.
❌ To avoid: collective allusive reprimands in meetings — humiliating, ineffective, and unfair to those who are not concerned.
Identify, listen, guide: this can be learned
The training “Psychosocial Risks (PSR) — the role of the frontline manager” covers these mechanisms and provides action guidelines for each type of situation, without turning the manager into a caregiver. 16 lessons, 100% online, at your own pace, unlimited access. Certified Qualiopi organization (No. 11757351875), certificate of completion.
Discover the training — 150 €6. He lost his temper in front of everyone
In a meeting, a colleague raises his voice, interrupts, slams a file on the table, and leaves. Silence falls. A few minutes later, he returns and sits down as if nothing happened. The team is waiting for your reaction.
What’s happening: a sudden outburst from someone who doesn’t usually behave this way is almost always an overflow, not malice. Irritability and loss of emotional control are among the possible manifestations of overwhelming stress described by the INRS. The behavior must be framed — it is not acceptable — but the person must be understood.
- Don’t address anything in the heat of the moment, nor in front of the team. Bring back calm: “Let’s take a ten-minute break and resume.”
- Meet with the person one-on-one, a little later. “What happened earlier doesn’t seem like you. I wanted to understand.”
- Name the two aspects separately. The framework: “That tone, in front of the team, is not acceptable.” The listening: “And at the same time, I see that something is wrong.”
- Address the cause, not just the incident. An isolated overflow can be corrected; a repeated overflow must lead to exploring the workload, tensions, and, if necessary, directing to occupational health.
To prevent this from happening again: a public overflow is often a symptom of pressure that has been building for a long time. After addressing the incident, revisit the workload and daily irritants: this is where prevention takes place, not in reminding about the rules.
❌ To avoid: responding with pure authority in front of witnesses (“calm down immediately”) — this humiliates, escalates, and teaches nothing about the cause.
7. “Can I talk to you?” — the confidence
End of the day. A colleague closes the door, hesitates, then confides in you a heavy personal difficulty — separation, grief, health issue, a loved one in great difficulty. He ends with: “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”
What’s happening: when a person confides in their manager, it’s not to obtain a solution, it’s to be heard and feel less alone. The danger is twofold: to withdraw (“it’s not my role”) or, conversely, to take on a therapeutic role that is not yours and for which you are not trained. The right positioning is to receive the words warmly while staying in your place: you neither have to solve the person’s private life nor act as if it doesn’t exist. What you can offer is real listening, work-related adjustments, and a bridge to those whose job it is.
- Welcome the confidence. “Thank you for sharing this with me, I understand that it’s not easy to say.” That’s already a lot.
- Listen without advising or judging. Rephrase to show you are following: “If I understand correctly, right now it’s very heavy to bear.”
- Stay in your role: work. “On my side, I can see with you what we can adjust work-wise. For the rest, there are people whose job it is.”
- Direct concretely. Occupational health, psychological listening unit, work social worker. In case of acute distress or concerning statements, direct without delay (see the alert below).
To prevent this from happening again: make known, in advance and to the entire team, the available support systems — occupational health, listening unit, social service. When these resources are visible and normalized, everyone knows whom to turn to without having to approach the manager as a last resort.
❌ To avoid: promising absolute secrecy, or sharing your own story to “empathize” — this shifts the focus onto you and can put you in a difficult position.
8. She never takes her vacation
At the end of the year, you notice that a colleague has accumulated a balance of vacation days that she hasn’t taken. She responds: “I prefer to be here; otherwise, it piles up and it’s worse when I return.” She is always reachable, even in the evening.
What’s happening: over-investment and presenteeism are warning signs, just like absenteeism. Never taking a break can indicate a fear — of not being up to the task, of being replaceable, or of returning to an unmanageable workload. Being pleased with this constant availability feeds the mechanism that leads to burnout.
- Value rest, not presence. “Taking a break is also a way to do your job well in the long run. I care about that for you.”
- Explore what the lack of rest protects. “What worries you about being absent?” The answer often reveals an overload or lack of support.
- Organize continuity. A partner, a clear handover, a real right to disconnect: remove the reason not to leave.
- Lead by example. A manager who sends emails on Sunday implicitly allows the entire team to never disconnect.
To prevent this from happening again: anticipate vacation balances throughout the year rather than in December, and ensure that each position has a real backup. A team where one can be absent without guilt is a team where presenteeism has no reason to exist.
❌ To avoid: “thankfully you are always here” — the phrase that turns a warning into a model to follow for everyone.
9. You are being reported for inappropriate remarks
A team member comes to see you, embarrassed: a colleague is making repeated, hurtful remarks towards another person — comments, mockery, exclusion. “I don’t know if I should tell you this, but it makes me uncomfortable.”
What’s happening: you are entering a domain where the employer has a legal obligation to prevent and protect. In France, the Labor Code requires the employer to take necessary measures to prevent acts of moral and sexual harassment. Qualifying facts as “harassment” is not your role; collecting, protecting, and transmitting is.
- Take it seriously, without qualifying. “Thank you for telling me. It’s important, and I won’t overlook it.” Do not use the word “harassment” yourself at this stage.
- Gather dated and precise facts, in writing: who, when, what, in front of whom. Avoid interpretations and judgments.
- Alert the right contacts without delay. HR, harassment reference, management: handling such a situation is not solely the responsibility of the frontline manager.
- Ensure the immediate protection of the targeted person and the one who reported, and maintain confidentiality throughout.
To prevent this from happening again: regularly remind the framework — respect, dignity, zero tolerance for repeated actions — and the existence of a reference person and reporting procedure. Preventing harassment primarily relies on a clear framework, known to all and reiterated before incidents occur.
❌ To avoid: conducting a “investigation” alone, confronting the individuals yourself, or minimizing (“it’s humor, don’t exaggerate”) — three mistakes that worsen the situation and engage the organization’s responsibility.
10. The return after a long absence
A colleague returns on Monday after several months of absence. You’re not quite sure how to welcome him: act as if nothing happened? Talk about it? You’re afraid of saying the wrong thing, so you plan to say nothing special.
What’s happening: the return after a long absence is a pivotal moment where the risk of relapse or new absence is real if the return is poorly prepared. Ignoring it out of clumsiness leaves the person alone; overdoing it stigmatizes them. The right posture is intermediate, prepared, and coordinated with occupational health.
- Anticipate before the big day. A pre-return visit with occupational health allows for considering, in confidentiality, any adjustments. It’s a right of the employee.
- Welcome simply and sincerely. “Happy to see you again. We’ll go at your pace; let me know what you need.”
- Gradually resume. Lightened priorities in the first days, regular check-ins, no massive catch-up of accumulated delays. Follow any medical recommendations.
- Settle the collective narrative in advance. Agree with the person on what is said — or not — to the team. Respect for privacy comes first.
To prevent this from happening again: do not consider the return as a final point but as a process. Regular follow-up in the first weeks, coordinated with occupational health, allows for timely adjustments to workload and prevents a relapse — much more effective than a grand return followed by silence.
❌ To avoid: “So, all set? There’s a backlog to catch up on!” — a hallway phrase that, in ten words, cancels out weeks of recovery.
Psychosocial Risks (PSR): what to do, the summary
These ten scenarios are nothing exceptional: they make up the daily life of any frontline manager. What changes is not their frequency, but the way to respond. A common thread connects all the good practices: starting from an observable fact rather than a label, opening a space for dialogue without trying to solve everything, acting on what relates to the organization of work, and directing to competent professionals as soon as the situation exceeds one’s role. The table below summarizes, for each scenario, what is most often at stake and the reflex to adopt.
| Situation | What often happens | ✅ The reflex to have |
|---|---|---|
| Withdrawal in meeting | Early signal: overload, conflict, loss of meaning | Check in one-on-one, open question, dated follow-up |
| Teary eyes at the office | Accumulated overflow | Pause the subject, allow emotion, guide |
| “It's fine, I can handle it” | Silent exhaustion among the invested | Start from facts, lighten the load, refer to occupational health |
| Two colleagues avoiding each other | Degraded social relations (conflict) | Meet each one, stick to the facts, common framework, third party if needed |
| Delays and absences | Change = signal, not blame right away | Observe without accusing, seek the cause, track follow-up |
| Outburst in public | Overflow, not malice | Calm down on the spot, meet later, frame and listen |
| Personal confidence | Need to be heard, not for a solution | Welcome, listen without advising, stay in your role, guide |
| Never taking leave | Presenteeism, underlying fear | Value rest, organize continuity, lead by example |
| Reported inappropriate remarks | Possible harassment — legal obligation | Take seriously, gather facts, alert HR without qualifying |
| Return after long absence | Turning point, risk of relapse | Pre-return, simple welcome, gradual return, respect for privacy |
In the face of acute distress, comments suggesting suicidal thoughts, or immediate danger to oneself or others, we do not seek to understand: we do not leave the person alone, and we alert emergency services in your country without delay. In France, 3114 (national suicide prevention number) is available free of charge, at any time. Detection and guidance by the manager never replace the evaluation by a health professional.
To go further
ToolboxPSR: activities, resources, and concrete adjustments to implement
Professional posturePSR: posture, teamwork, and skills development
TrainingProgram, content, and who the training “PSR — the role of the proximity manager” is aimed at
Beyond these situations, preventing PSR also involves maintaining an attentive work environment. The DYNSEO free tools catalog and the cognitive tests can enrich team time around well-being; the application CLINT, designed for adults and mental health, offers cognitive stimulation activities useful in remobilization pathways.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far does the role of the proximity manager go in the face of psychosocial risks ?
The proximity manager is on the front line to spot signals, open a space for dialogue, and direct to the right contacts. They are neither a doctor, nor a psychologist, nor an investigator : their role is not to diagnose suffering or to qualify acts of harassment. Confusing these roles is risky for the person being supported as well as for the manager. The right posture is to observe concrete facts, to listen without interpreting, to act on what pertains to the organization of work, and to relay without delay to occupational health, HR, or a listening unit as soon as the situation exceeds their scope.
How to approach someone without being intrusive ?
By starting from an observable fact and not from an interpretation. Saying “ I noticed that you have been participating less for a few weeks ” opens the door ; saying “ you seem depressed ” closes it, as it makes a judgment that nothing authorizes you to make. Choose a moment and a place away from prying eyes, ask an open question, then let silence do its work. Specify your intention from the outset : to check in, not to control. And accept that a person may not be ready to talk : the mere fact of having shown your availability counts, and the door remains open for later.
What to do if the person refuses to talk about it ?
We respect this refusal, without forcing it. You can say : “ I understand, there is no obligation. Just know that my door remains open, and that occupational health is there, in complete confidentiality. ” Continue to observe, note the facts, and remain attentive to any worsening. A refusal does not cancel your vigilance : it only changes the channel. If the signals intensify or if the situation seriously concerns you, you can, without breaching confidentiality, alert occupational health about objective elements. In the face of an immediate danger, however, the person's agreement is no longer the priority : we protect and we alert.
Can we keep a confidence completely secret ?
No, one should not promise absolute secrecy, as certain situations require relaying information. However, you can guarantee discretion and clearly explain the framework : “ What you tell me stays between us, unless there is a danger to you or someone else — in that case, I will have to talk about it to protect you. ” This honesty preserves trust over time, while a promise of secrecy that cannot be kept destroys it as soon as it is broken. For facts that may pertain to harassment, the manager also has an obligation to transmit : confidentiality protects the person, it does not allow inaction.
What signs require urgent action ?
Any statements mentioning suicidal thoughts, deep despair, or the expression of a danger to oneself or others require an immediate reaction : do not leave the person alone and alert the emergency services in your country without delay. In France, 3114 (national suicide prevention number) is available free of charge at any time. A sudden decompensation, sudden disorientation, or very unusual behavior should also lead to quickly seeking a healthcare professional. In all these cases, the manager's identification never replaces medical evaluation : their role is to protect in the moment and to connect with the right interveners.
This article provides general professional guidelines for frontline managers. It does not replace your organization's internal procedures, nor the advice of occupational medicine, nor that of a health professional. The manager identifies, listens, and guides: they do not make a diagnosis and do not replace existing prevention measures. In case of doubt about a specific situation, refer to your management and the competent interlocutors.
In the face of psychosocial risks (PSR), knowing what to do changes everything
Moving from a reflex that worsens to an action that calms is exactly what the training “Psychosocial Risks (PSR) — the role of the frontline manager” offers: 16 concrete lessons, 100% online, at your own pace, with unlimited access. Certified Qualiopi organization (N° 11757351875), with a certificate of completion at the end.
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