What causes bad days at work?

Any number of issues can cause an individual to have a bad day at work, from work-related challenges to personal problems that carry over to the office. It could be a single incident or several smaller issues that add up to a bad day. Some common examples include:

• Feeling tired, anxious or upset when you arrive at work
• Illness
• Personal or family issues
• Poor work-life balance
• Disciplinary action at work
• Problems on a project
• Losing a client
• Conflict with coworkers or managers
• Lack of support
• Too much work or unrealistic expectations
• Poor working conditions

Your employees are ultimately responsible for their feelings and should take ownership in turning around a bad day. However, you can support them in that to make the day better. Having a team that’s in a good mood keeps morale higher and can improve productivity.

1. Show empathy

Everyone has different triggers that can cause them to have a hard day at work. Even if that same issue wouldn’t cause you to lose your cool, it’s important to show empathy toward your employees. High emotional intelligence allows you to notice and better understand your team’s feelings. This allows you to interact with them more effectively and help them feel understood.

2. Be transparent about your emotions

Even leaders have bad days at work. Although it might seem like hiding your emotions or forcing yourself to remain positive is the professional thing to do, consider being transparent with your team. Being open and honest about your own emotions can show how everyone, including leaders, have tough days. Sharing your own struggles in a controlled and professional way can normalize bad days at work and foster a supportive and understanding environment.

As a leader, you want to encourage a culture where team members feel comfortable expressing their emotions. Being transparent with yours can lead to a healthier and more cohesive workplace.

3. Understand the cause of the tough day at work

Knowing why someone is having a bad day can help you resolve the situation. Maybe an employee is dealing with a personal issue that’s spilling over to their mood at work. You might encourage them to take time off to handle their situation to improve their work-life balance. If it’s a workload issue, you can address why it’s happening. Observe the situation to assess what’s happening and talk to your team to get info from them.

4. Listen to your team

Whether you start the conversation or an employee comes to you, using active listening shows that you care about the issue at hand. Maybe your employee just needs to vent and could use a compassionate ear to listen. Other times, they need help from you, even if they don’t ask for it directly.

Listen carefully to what your employee says. If needed, ask follow-up questions to get more information. What you hear can help you determinewhat to do next or learn how to avoid a similar situation in the future.

5. Address specific concerns

If you uncover something serious in those conversations with employees or during your observations, address it quickly. Examples include harassment, workplace gossip or other types of misconduct in the workplace. Ignoring those issues can affect morale and send the message that you don’t care.

You might also uncover a workflow issue. Maybe a team member isn’t handling their workload properly or there are safety concerns in the workplace. An employee might feel that a process is outdated or unnecessarily complicated. Some workflow issues can’t be changed immediately, but looking into them and trying possible solutions can reduce future bad days.

6. Adapt what you’re saying

As you talk with employees who are having a bad day, keep your audience in mind. People react differently and have varying preferences on how they want you to communicate with them. Some employees prefer a calm, gentle approach while others want a straightforward conversation where you provide direct solutions. Learning more about your employees and understanding their personalities and preferences can help you tailor your conversations when they’re having a bad day.

7. Offer to help

You likely have a busy schedule yourself, but sometimes you might need to set your workload aside to help out your team when they’re having a tough day. This can solve the issue if there’s a temporary increase in the workload. For example, maybe several team members call in sick, leaving the team short-staffed and scrambling. This can cause stress and lead to a hard day for them. Jumping in to alleviate some of the extra workload can ease their stress. It also shows that you’re willing to help out when needed, which can boost morale.

8. Suggest solutions

If you can’t help directly, you might be able to offer some solutions that employees can implement. For instance, if the cause of the bad day is a problem with their current project, you might have a different perspective and can come up with a solution that they can implement. If an employee isn’t getting along with their supervisor or a colleague, you could offer conflict resolution strategies. For personal issues, referring the staff member to the employee resource group program or the mental health benefits available through their insurance coverage could support them.

9. Enforce a change in direction or scenery

Sometimes the easy solution is changing what’s happening or taking a step back temporarily. If a team member hits a roadblock on a project and you can’t find a logical solution, suggest setting it aside for now. Taking a walk or moving to a new part of the office could be enough to change the mood. Some employees might resist this pause or reset in an attempt to focus on a solution. Insisting on them taking a break could help them get the distance they need on the issue to turn the day around.

FAQs about bad days at work

Is it normal to have bad days at work?

No one is immune to having a bad day at work. Outside factors such as family issues or health conditions can impact how people feel at work. Busier times or problems at work affect everyone’s mood. If bad days become more common than not, you might need to look at the company culture and figure out what’s causing the issues.

How would you describe a bad day at work?

A hard day at work is different for everyone. Some people can handle a lot of challenges before it affects them. Having a bad day typically means your mood is negative, you feel overwhelmed or you feel like you want to leave.

What happens when you’re the one having a hard day at work?

Even leaders have bad days at work. When you’re having a difficult time, your team likely feels it, and it could cause them to have a bad day too. Giving yourself a break, moving around, practicing relaxation techniques and shifting your focus can help.

How can you prevent a hard day at work?

It’s impossible to prevent all bad days at work for all your employees, but you can do your part to limit them. Creating an inclusive, supportive work environment can keep the mood positive and cut down on triggers for a tough day at work. Open communication, encouraging a good work-life balance and being understanding when people need a break can help.