Experts say employees are generally in a 'fight or flight' stress state
At the 2026 Disability Management Employer Coalition Annual Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee, health and productivity consultant Kristin Tugman stated that social turmoil and the pandemic over the past few years have put employees generally in a 'fight or flight' mode, and employers should improve workplace mental health through intentional communication and management training.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Health and productivity consultant Kristin Tugman says the past few years have placed heavy stress on employees, from social unrest to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are all in crisis fatigue," Tugman said Tuesday at the 2026 Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) annual conference in Nashville. "We have to recognize that employees walking through the door are likely in a 'fight or flight' state."
She noted that humans are resilient, but resilience can also run out.
Tugman said employers can improve workplace mental health by consciously focusing on employee well-being. This means recognizing signs of abnormality and proactively communicating with employees, rather than simply attributing issues to performance.
She gave an example where symptoms of depression can sometimes look like performance issues.
She advised employers to watch for behavioral patterns. "If an employee has been late and missed deadlines since day one, that is likely a performance issue."
Conversely, if a top performer who never misses deadlines suddenly declines, employers should proactively ask why, Tugman said.
She also emphasized that companies need to take time to train managers to recognize potential mental health issues.
"Psychological safety clearly comes best from the top," Tugman said, "but we also have the opportunity to create psychological safety in our own small environments."
She noted that this becomes especially important as the mental health crisis intensifies, along withrising healthcare costsanddelayed medical careamong other factors.