Decisional load
The volume, consequence and reversibility of the decisions a manager owns. Decisional load rises when decisions are frequent, consequential and made without a clear escalation path.
Workplace stress management
Stress is not one thing. Treating it as one is why programs fail.
OHA Wellness measures the pressure your teams are carrying, identifies which load is dominant, intervenes on that load, and re-measures at 90 days. Toronto-based, delivered onsite and virtually across Canada.
The five loads we separate
Each load responds to a different intervention. The diagnostic tells us which one is carrying the weight.
Cognitive load
The demand placed on attention and working memory by interruption, context-switching and unstructured information. Cognitive load is what makes a capable manager feel slow.
Emotional load
The pressure of absorbing other people's uncertainty, conflict and distress on behalf of a team — heaviest during restructuring, layoffs and transformation.
Relational load
The number and complexity of relationships a manager must actively maintain — direct reports, peers, executives, clients and cross-functional partners.
Administrative load
Reporting, approvals, systems work and process compliance that displaces leadership work without producing leadership value.
What is a workplace stress management program?
It is a structured intervention on the sources of pressure in how work is organized, not a course on individual coping.
OHA Wellness starts from a measurement of the load people are carrying, then acts on the dominant source. Training people to tolerate a load without changing the load is how most programs fail.
What organizational problem does it address?
Chronic pressure that shows up as turnover, absence, slower decisions and errors that cost money.
These are lagging signals. Capacity measurement gives a leading one: you can see the pressure before it converts into an exit.
How does OHA's approach work?
Through the Capacity Cycle™: measure a baseline, diagnose the dominant load, intervene on it in real work, build capability with a cohort, and re-measure the same instrument at 90 days.
Because the second measurement uses the first instrument, the result is a change against a baseline rather than a satisfaction score.
How can HR teams address chronic workplace pressure?
Separate the sources before choosing a response. Pressure that comes from decision volume needs a different intervention than pressure that comes from emotional labour.
- Name the specific load rather than calling it stress
- Measure it before the intervention, not only after
- Give teams practices that fit inside a working day
- Re-measure on a fixed horizon and report the delta
What outcomes does the program aim to support?
A measured change in capacity and load between baseline and 90 days, read alongside the retention and performance signals the organization already tracks.
We report the change we measured. We do not promise an outcome before a baseline exists.
How is a program implemented?
Most engagements start with a Capacity Diagnostic, which scopes the program. Delivery is a mix of cohort sessions, practices applied in real work, and RESET+ between sessions.
What types of organizations does OHA work with?
Employers, HR and People & Culture teams, universities and institutions, and leadership teams — typically organizations large enough to have a management layer under sustained pressure.
Does OHA work with organizations across Canada?
Yes. OHA Wellness is based in Toronto and works across the GTA, Ontario and Canada, onsite, virtually or hybrid.