Too Many People Know the Feeling That moment when stress starts creeping in. When the piles on your desk keep growing, deadlines loom over you, and even the smallest task feels like climbing a mountain.
As a leader, there is a huge difference between employees arriving at work feeling energized versus being on the verge of burnout.
Stress is not just an individual problem—it is a challenge that affects the entire company.
- When Morten from IT is overwhelmed, fixing technical issues takes longer.
- When Project Manager Louise struggles with stress symptoms, it impacts team communication.
- When Finance Director Peter calls in sick due to stress, the effects are felt all the way up to the executive level.
In fact, in Denmark, stress-related absenteeism costs workplaces at least 16.4 billion DKK annually.
With the IGLO model, you gain a concrete, action-oriented tool to work on stress prevention at all levels before it affects your employees' well-being and your company's bottom line.
What Is the IGLO Model?
The IGLO model is based on a simple but crucial insight: Stress cannot be solved with a single initiative. It requires a coordinated approach at multiple levels simultaneously.
Just as an igloo cannot be built from a single block of ice, effective stress prevention cannot rest solely on the shoulders of individual employees. It requires collaboration between individuals, teams, leadership, and the overall organizational structure.
The model is named after the four levels it operates on:
- I – Individual Level
- G – Group Level (Teams & Departments)
- L – Leadership Level
- O – Organizational Level
The IGLO model was developed after it became clear that many corporate stress management efforts failed because they only focused on one level—typically the individual.
Instead of making stress "Peter's problem" or something only HR should handle, the IGLO model provides the entire organization with a shared language and structured approach for preventing and managing stress.
Who Developed the IGLO Model?
The IGLO model was originally developed by the Danish National Research Center for the Working Environment after realizing that many companies’ stress management efforts failed because they only addressed the issue at the individual level.
The Components of the IGLO Model
The IGLO model consists of four levels, each contributing to a holistic approach to stress prevention.
Let’s dive into each level and explore how you can apply them in your company.
I – Individual Level: The Employee
You can’t always control deadlines, client demands, or unexpected tasks. But you can control how you manage your own workday.
Stress prevention at the individual level is about taking responsibility for your own well-being and recognizing when the pressure becomes too much.
What You Can Do as an Employee:
- Recognize early stress signals – Are you feeling irritable? Having trouble sleeping? Experiencing headaches or muscle tension? These are your body’s way of telling you to adjust your workload.
- Prioritize your tasks – In a busy workday, everything can feel urgent. Use techniques like "must-do vs. nice-to-do" to focus on what truly matters while postponing less critical tasks.
- Set boundaries – It’s okay to say no. If your to-do list is overflowing, discuss priorities with your manager.
- Take breaks – Eating lunch at your desk or back-to-back meetings won’t give your brain the rest it needs. Short breaks boost productivity and lower stress levels.
- Seek support – You are not alone. Talk to a colleague, your manager, or HR if your workload becomes overwhelming.
When you take responsibility for your own well-being, you contribute to a healthier work culture around you.
G – Group Level: Your Team or Department
No one works in isolation. Your team plays a significant role in making your workday feel manageable—or overwhelming.
A healthy team culture is essential for preventing stress for yourself and your colleagues.
How Teams Can Support Each Other:
- Foster an open culture – Talk openly about workload and pressure. If everyone pretends to have everything under control, it creates an unhealthy culture where no one dares to ask for help.
- Help each other – If you have extra capacity while a colleague is overwhelmed, offer a helping hand. Teamwork is about strengthening each other.
- Distribute tasks fairly – If one person always gets the most demanding or complex tasks, it creates imbalance. Ensure equal distribution of workloads.
- Encourage social breaks – A quick coffee break or informal conversation can make a big difference in reducing stress. Strong team relationships create a better support network.
- Provide constructive feedback – Recognition and praise motivate employees, while clear and constructive feedback sets expectations and prevents misunderstandings. A strong feedback culture reduces uncertainty and stress.
Read more: How to Give and Receive Constructive Feedback
A healthy work environment is created together—and it starts with the team.
L – Leadership: The Role of Leaders
Leaders have a major responsibility when it comes to stress prevention. They can either buffer employees from stress or intensify it. A good leader ensures that employees have the right conditions to thrive, grow, and perform—without burning out.
Read more: What Defines a Good Leader?
Key Actions for Leaders:
- Set clear expectations and boundaries – When employees know what is expected of them, uncertainty and stress are typically reduced.
- Monitor employee well-being – Look for signs of overload and have a conversation if an employee seems stressed. A simple "How are you doing?" can make a big difference.
- Give recognition and feedback – A workplace without recognition fosters stress and demotivation. Celebrate successes, big or small.
- Take initiative on stress prevention – Hold well-being conversations, adjust workloads when necessary, and integrate stress management into leadership practices.
- Lead by example – If you send emails at 10 PM or never take breaks, you signal that this is the norm. Show your employees that it’s okay to disconnect.
A leader who prioritizes well-being builds a stronger, more engaged, and healthier workplace.
O – Organization: Structural Support for Well-Being
The final level of the IGLO model focuses on the overall organization. This is where strategic decisions are made to establish structural frameworks for stress prevention.
A company that takes well-being seriously sees it as an investment, not an expense.
How the Organization Can Contribute to a Healthier Workplace:
- Prioritize mental health in the strategy – Workplace well-being should not be a once-a-year topic; it should be part of the company’s DNA.
- Set realistic workload goals – If the entire organization constantly operates at full capacity, stress levels will rise. Ensure targets are achievable.
- Offer flexibility – Remote work options, flexible hours, and a strong work-life balance help reduce stress and improve well-being.
- Train leaders in stress management – Many leaders want to support their employees but don’t know how. Give them the tools to take stress seriously.
- Foster a supportive work culture – Talking about stress and well-being should be normalized, without fear of being judged as weak or inefficient.
When the organization actively supports well-being, it becomes easier for leaders, teams, and employees to prevent stress in everyday work life.
Using the IGLO Framework for Well-Being and Stress Prevention
The IGLO framework is a practical tool developed by the Danish National Research Center for the Working Environment to help companies define concrete actions that support and improve workplace well-being.
How to Use the IGLO Framework for Stress Prevention:
- Identify focus areas – Bring together employees from different levels of the organization to discuss current well-being and stress challenges. Use the IGLO framework to categorize these issues under the four levels: Individual, Group, Leadership, and Organization.
- Develop concrete actions – For each identified challenge, use the IGLO framework to brainstorm and document specific initiatives that can be implemented at each level. This ensures a holistic approach that involves all parts of the organization.
- Assign responsibility and set timelines – Clearly define who is responsible for each initiative and establish realistic deadlines.
- Evaluate and adjust continuously – Use the IGLO framework as a dynamic document that is regularly updated based on feedback and results. This approach ensures ongoing improvement of workplace well-being efforts.
