Families in Action
If you’ve felt stretched thin at work lately, you’re not alone. Across Trinidad and Tobago, employees in every sector, from banking to healthcare to retail, are quietly carrying more than ever. Deadlines are tighter, expectations higher, and the line between “at work” and “off duty” has almost disappeared. For many, the daily grind feels like a marathon that never ends.
We often shrug it off with a laugh or a “boy, that’s just how it is,” but the truth is the pressure is real, and it’s taking a toll.
The workplace we knew a decade ago no longer exists. Technology, artificial intelligence, remote work, and shifting economies have created a new kind of hustle. Everything is fast-paced, always connected, and constantly changing. Employees are expected to adapt overnight to new systems, new goals, and sometimes even new bosses.
This nonstop change brings opportunity, but it also brings strain. People are being asked to stay productive, innovative, and emotionally steady in conditions that often feel unpredictable. That’s a heavy lift for anyone.
Globally, the story is the same. The American Psychological Association reported in 2023 that nearly 60 per cent of workers experience stress every single week. The McKinsey Health Institute found that more than half of employees worldwide show signs of emotional distress. These aren’t just statistics; they reflect people who wake up tired, go to bed wired, and spend their days wondering if they can keep up.
On the home front, Families in Action (FIA) has been tracking workplace stress trends for quite some time. This year, as the organisation sharpened its focus on capturing its broader impact and strengthening its role as a thought leader, FIA took a closer look at what’s really affecting employees in the workplace. The goal was simple: to get a snapshot of the top presenting concerns among Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) clients, both locally and across the region.
The findings tell a story many of us can recognise. Workplace stress consistently topped the list of reasons employees sought support, showing up as the number one issue across both data sets. The figures revealed that 59 per cent of local workers accessed the EAP for stress-related concerns, compared to 43 per cent regionally. Put simply, in almost every group of ten local employees, six were dealing with stress serious enough to reach out for help.
When we dig deeper, we see patterns that make sense when you think about daily life on the job. Many employees report feeling stretched between competing demands, uncertain job security, and a sense that no matter how much they do, it’s never quite enough.
The 2.9 per cent reporting workplace incivility and 1.9 per cent experiencing performance issues may seem small, but they represent real people dealing with toxic interactions, burnout, and dwindling motivation.
Women continue to make up the majority of EAP users, accounting for 61.8 per cent locally. This number climbed even higher after 2020. This could mean several things: women may be more open to seeking help, but it might also signal the double burden of managing competing and simultaneous stress-related concerns, especially during and after the pandemic.
The data also reveals a need to look more closely at men’s under-utilisation and the barriers they still face in seeking mental health support. In our Caribbean culture, where men are raised to “hold it down” and “take their licks like a man,” many still believe they have to stay silent. While regional male participation stood at 46.4 per cent, local usage was lower at 38.2 per cent, showing how stigma still runs deep. Maybe local men can take “style and pattern” from their regional counterparts, who seem more willing to reach out. Real strength isn’t about staying quiet; it’s about knowing when to talk it through and care for your mind the same way you care for your body.
Dependents are also showing up more. Local participation rose from 15 per cent in 2019 to 26 per cent by 2024, a sign that stress doesn’t stop at the office door. When an employee struggles, their family feels it too. As my former work colleague Vince, now retired, used to say, “the family often becomes the symptom bearer of the employee’s stress.” The ripple effect of workplace pressure extends into households, relationships, and communities. The data isn’t just numbers on a page; it’s a mirror of what workers are living through.
So what does all this stress really look like day to day?
Sometimes it’s the bank officer who lies awake replaying mistakes she didn’t actually make. Or the frontline employee who hasn’t taken a proper lunch break in weeks because “there’s just no time.” It’s the anxious worker who checks emails at midnight or the manager who feels guilty every time he switches off his phone.
Stress sneaks up quietly and becomes part of the culture: the sighs, the short tempers, the constant fatigue. Over time, it turns into burnout, an emotional flatline where even things we love feel like a drain on our very being.
Next week, we'll look at Part II of Understanding Workplace Stress
