10 Ways Employers Can Manage Stress At Workplace
Employee stress is a major issue- for employees and the organization itself. It happens in every fast-paced environment naturally, no two ways about it. Nearly 75% of the current-generation employees face increased on-the-job stress. In fact, 33% of employees have reported extreme levels of stress.
Leaving stress unchecked harms productivity, interrupts concentration, and affects the people surrounding stressed employees.
Signs of stress include mental burnout, anxiety, and lack of motivation. Stress can also severely impact how we function and cause physical body problems such as high blood pressure, headaches, etc.
Every small to large company invests in stress management tactics to ensure its employees’ mental and physical well-being.
What is Stress Management?
Stress management includes activities that can be done to reduce or manage stress levels. Stress management at the workplace is important to reduce not only stress levels but also increase employee satisfaction.
While feeling stressed is normal, finding ways to relax is paramount as well.
Why Is Employee Stress Management Important
Employee stress management is important to improve productivity in the workplace. It allows employees to maintain healthy bonds with their colleagues. Stress management allows employees to think calmly during unfavorable situations.
Managers should attempt to understand how stress can impact their organization negatively. We shall discuss some of the best measures employers can take to beat stress at the workplace.
10 Ways Employers Can Manage Employee Stress at Workplace
1. Recognition culture
An environment where employees are not recognized for their performance is a toxic environment. It creates low morale and unrest among peers. This is a form of unhealthy competition that should be rooted out at the earliest.
Instead, managers should create a culture where employees are recognized for their work. When employees are rewarded and appreciated, they feel more valued. When employees are recognized, they feel like they belong and have a sense of responsibility towards their work.
Relevant Read: Improve employee retention in your organization
2. Cancel pointless meetings and avoid micromanagement
Nothing is more stressful than pointless meetings, which result in wasted time. If a meeting can be discussed over a call or an email, then it should be canceled. This is because employees are already loaded with tasks to complete on a deadline. Wasting more time over a meeting that could have been done over email will add to their stress.
It should also be noted that employees dislike it when their managers micromanage them and hold them under constant surveillance. Every employee has their method of performing tasks.
As long as the end result is achieved, they should be given the freedom to work as they like. Employees are an organization’s greatest resource, and managers should trust them to do their job.
3. Promote a healthy lifestyle
Exercising and eating healthy snacks can be one of the biggest stressbusters in any environment. Introducing wellness programs can be a perfect gift for your employees to unwind. This will improve productivity and employee engagement in the workplace.
Wellness programs could include gym memberships, free health checkups, more breaks and meditation. Organizations could also have sports competitions with their teams and reward the team that performs the best.
4. Clear leadership structure
Creating a defined leadership structure is among the best ways to manage employee stress levels.
Many employees are unclear about their roles and responsibilities in an organization. With a proper leadership structure, they will not only know their roles and responsibilities but who exactly they are supposed to report to. This will contribute to work efficiency and a relaxed environment.
5. Promoting the best use of technology
Technology is man’s best friend. And in the workplace, employers must take all necessary steps to avoid employees’ burnout. Hereby, availing them of the latest software, gadgets and a reliable internet connection may increase expenses, but it is necessary to reduce employee stress.
Hence, it is a good idea to invest in technology that will benefit your employees as they are your greatest asset. With technology, certain tasks can be automated, which gives the employees more time to perform other important tasks.
6. Incorporate afternoon breaks
Continuous digital communication increases your employees’ stress levels. They might be inundated with alerts from a million different digital channels even while they are seeking to focus on one assignment.
Consider dedicating one afternoon every week to being “unplugged.” Encourage workers to turn off their phones, log out of their email accounts, and turn off their messaging services.
Give them a chance to unwind and relax with no distractions. This will result in higher employee engagement and they will be able to focus better on their tasks during the day.
7. Allowing flexible work schedules
Allowing employees to choose their working schedules as per their flexibility is among the top employee stress management methods.
The majority of the workforce now alternate between working remotely and in the office. If the tasks allotted can be done from the comfort of home, they should be allowed to do so. This way, they feel more valued and appreciated.
8. Offering employee feedback
Another great way in which employers can reduce workplace stress is by talking to their employees directly. Employee feedback is crucial for the organization to grow successfully.
Ask them where they feel the organization is lacking and what can be done to improve the situation. It is also a good idea to involve the employees in decision-making processes as this will help them feel responsible towards the company.
9. Giving honest compliments
Being kind does not cost a thing. There are situations in every workplace where the cause of stress cannot be identified or removed. However, being kind to your employees and giving them honest compliments can uplift their mood and distress them.
Stressed employees cannot function effectively, thus causing more harm to the organization than gain. Being honest and kind can help them shift from a negative mindset to a positive one.
10. Give meaningful gifts to employees
An underrated strategy to keep employees stress-free and motivated to deliver their best is to give them gifts every now and then. Gifts indicate that you appreciate their efforts and are grateful to them; it shows that you acknowledge the extra mile they are going to achieve goals. Thus, the irritability and exhaustion employees feel gets converted into a sense of satisfaction and motivation.
Some great gifts options here would be wellness gift baskets, healthy snacks, hoodies, sipper, etc – items that show you care about their health.
Employers Can Manage Stress At Workplace And Ensure Positivity
While there are many ways to manage stress levels at the workplace, beginning with these will serve as a start to a positive work culture. Employees are the greatest asset of any organization as they are the driving force of the company.
Organizations and employees both need each other equally.
Thus, it is necessary to have a positive transactional relationship with reduced stress levels. Team activities can create a good bond among peers that will reduce stress and ultimately benefit the company.
I am Srikanth Acharya, CEO at TheHomeOffice.in & OffiNeeds.com. TheHomeOffice helps professionals work more efficiently from their homes and at Offineeds, we help companies create #BrandAmbassadors through #CorporateGifts.