Tag Archive for: Stress

April marks Stress Awareness Month – an ideal time to reflect on the well-being of your employees

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Stress is as prevalent as ever in today’s workplace, significantly impacting overall productivity, morale, and even the long-term success of the organisation. So, are you doing enough to support your employees?

The impact of stress

Many of us will know that stress is a natural response to the demands and pressures of life, but when it becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for 2023/24, 776,000 employees suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. This of course does not include those suffering with non-work related stress, managing busy personal lives as well as work or other commitments.   

Stress affects every aspect of an employee’s performance, from their ability to focus, to their level of engagement and overall satisfaction at work. Beyond individual health concerns, the ripple effect of stress on a team can manifest as absenteeism, attrition, and decreased productivity.

What can employers do to minimise stress for employees

While recognising the symptoms and impacts of stress is important, employers need to take proactive steps to create a supportive work environment and help employees manage stress before it becomes overwhelming. Here are some key strategies:

  • Educate employees on stress management: as well as written resources, consider running  workshops, drop-in cafes, training sessions on specific coping strategies such as mindfulness and time management.
  • Promote open conversations and mental health support: creating an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their stress and mental health challenges is crucial in reducing the stigma around seeking help and making employees feel more confident in reaching out when needed. Encourage managers to check in with their teams regularly in their 1:1s and offer a supportive ear. If the organisation has an Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), signpost staff to any resources that could help such as CBT or counselling.
  • Foster a healthy work-life balance: finding the balance between work and personal lives can be a struggle for many employees. Offering flexible work options, such as remote work or flexible hours, can greatly reduce stress by allowing employees to manage their time more effectively. Encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day to recharge, and discourage a culture of overwork, where employees feel obligated to work beyond their normal hours or be available on their non-working days.  Employers should model healthy work-life balance behaviours avoiding after-hours emails or communications unless absolutely necessary.
  • Create a positive work environment: foster a culture of recognition, inclusivity, and support, where employees feel valued and appreciated. Regular recognition of employees’ hard work can boost morale and motivate individuals to perform at their best. The physical work environment is equally important – adequate lighting, ergonomic furniture, and access to spaces for relaxation can all have a significant impact on stress reduction. Small changes to the physical environment can create a more calming and conducive atmosphere for productivity.
  • Provide opportunities for employee engagement: Engaged employees are less likely to experience chronic stress. Offering opportunities for employees to engage in team-building activities, professional development and volunteering can help create a sense of purpose and belonging. These activities not only promote connection between employees but also offer a break from the routine pressures of the workplace.
  • Monitor workloads and set realistic expectations: overwhelming workloads and unrealistic expectations are among the primary sources of work-related stress. Consider implementing a system for monitoring work levels and providing support when necessary. Managers should be trained to spot signs of employee burnout and take appropriate steps to distribute tasks evenly, offer assistance, or adjust deadlines.
  • Encourage physical activity and wellness programmes: physical health is directly linked to mental well-being. Encourage employees to participate in wellness programmes, such as fitness challenges, yoga sessions, or access to gym memberships. Physical activity can greatly reduce stress and improve overall health, leading to greater productivity and fewer sick days.

External resources

Organisations such as Mind, Stress Management Society and Mental Health Foundation all offer useful advice and guidance for employees on managing their stress.  Signposting to external agencies can be helpful in encouraging staff to take an active role in managing their stress.

Stress Awareness Month is a timely reminder that employee wellbeing is essential to the success of any organisation. But it’s not a one-off activity.  It should be part of ongoing communication with staff on managing their mental wellbeing, educating them on the risks of stress, encouraging self-reflection, providing a safe environment to share if they’re struggling, and providing the tools and resources for them to manage and mitigate the impacts of stress. By taking a continuous and proactive approach,  employers can build a resilient and engaged workforce.

If you’re looking for tailored strategies, support or guidance in managing stress in your organisation please contact Helen Couchman in our team on 07799 901 669.

Stress Awareness Month – Top Tips for Supporting Employee Wellbeing

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April is Stress Awareness Month and this year’s theme is Community. It seems entirely apt that coming out of a pandemic which isolated us from the various communities that support us, that this is the theme for 2022.

The Importance of Community

It’s well known that human connection is fundamental to our happiness and fulfilment. The various communities we are all a part of help to provide that.

The Stress Management Society who are behind the awareness day say they chose the community theme because a lack of support can cause loneliness and isolation, which in turn lowers people’s wellbeing, impacts mental health and can lead to mental illness.

UK workers put in the longest working week in Europe, spending on average 42.3 hours a week at work. With this in mind, what role can employers play in optimising our workplace communities, bearing in mind the changes we are seeing to the way we work as a result of COVID?

Five Ways Employers Can Help Mitigate Employee Stress

  • Think about what changes your workplace has seen as a result of the pandemic. For some it might be minimal, for others there may have been a massive shift from the ‘norm’ with staff working in a different ways. If things do look different, can any gaps be identified in terms of the ways employees might have previously communicated with and supported each other?
  • Review your absence data. Look at any recent trends. Have you seen an increase in stress or mental health absence? Can you identify any themes? Do these give you any insights from a team or wider workplace perspective?
  • What are your staff telling you? If you do a staff survey, consider whether the questions capture the topics of support, both from a manager and colleague perspective. If you don’t, consider using staff forums or other frameworks to see what these tell you.
  • Encourage staff to reach out if they are feeling unhealthy levels of stress or anxiety. Give the message that the workplace is a supportive community that wants its staff to thrive. Issue communications to this effect via email, noticeboards, team briefings or other means.
  • Keep talking. Checking in with people, chatting about non work related topics – it’s some of these more informal catch ups that have been lost in some workplaces as a result of less face to face contact. It’s sometimes in these moments that people feel more able to open up about things or discover a shared connection that makes them feel less alone.

For more information on how you can support employee wellbeing, please contact Sarah Martin in our team on 07799 136091.