Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It involves noticing how someone might be feeling and trying to see the situation from their perspective.
Importantly, empathy is not about fixing problems, having all the answers, or agreeing with everything someone says. It’s about showing care, understanding, and presence.
Here are simple, practical ways to demonstrate empathy at work:
Pause what you’re doing and be fully engaged with the person you’re interacting with.
Notice what is happening for the other person, what is happening within yourself, and what is happening in the space between you.
Let go of judgment, assumptions, and the urge to control or fix the situation.
This might sound like:
Practicing empathy supports a psychologically healthy and safe workplace. When coworkers feel heard, valued, and understood, it strengthens:
It’s also important to remember that burnout can reduce our ability to be empathetic. When someone is emotionally depleted, their capacity to tune into others becomes limited. Supporting employee well-being and recognizing burnout helps protect empathy in the workplace.
For leaders, empathy is especially important. Empathetic leadership helps employees feel safe, respected, and supported, and sets the tone for team culture.
A care aide expresses frustration with a new workflow. Instead of assuming resistance, you consider their workload and the emotional demands of their role.
Maintain eye contact, allow pauses, and avoid interrupting during a check-in.
A worker wants to discuss burnout. You schedule private time and eliminate distractions.
“I can hear how much you’re carrying. It makes sense that you’re feeling overwhelmed.”
“You mentioned feeling left out of team decisions—did I get that right?”
A coworker shares something personal, and you reassure them that their story stays confidential.
Share a brief, relatable experience when appropriate—without shifting the focus.
Warm facial expressions, nodding, open posture, and a calm tone of voice.
Think of your workplace — or your household, or your circle of friends — as a garden. Every day, you plant something. The words you choose are the seeds. When you plant a flower, you...
Workplace communication improves when teams use strength-based language, I statements, objective words, and curiosity to build trust.
“I” statements help shift difficult conversations from blame to connection. By focusing on your own feelings, the situation, and its impact, you can reduce defensiveness, improve understanding, and build healthier communication habits at work and...
Strong communication is essential for a safe and respectful healthcare workplace. Learn how using “I” statements can reduce conflict, build trust, and support better teamwork during high-stress situations.
Communication is a skill that everyone can practice and improve. This info sheet offers four practical tool you can use to help build health workplace relationships.
Use this info sheet to learn how “I” statements can be used to shift your workplace communication from blame to connection.
Meaningful employee participation means giving workers a real voice in how work gets done—not just informing them after the fact. When organizations listen and respond, they build trust, reduce burnout, and make better, more practical...
Mastering work-life balance is essential for healthcare safety. Discover practical strategies to prevent burnout, manage busy shifts, and improve care for those you support.
A respectful workplace goes beyond the absence of harm. Learn what civility looks like at work and what everyday choices build respect.
The Improving workplace engagement safety huddle positions engagement as a key factor in staff well-being and quality of care. Engagement is defined as a deep connection to work that can be physical (energized), emotional (passionate),...
