Written by Nicola Gater | 3rd November 2022
On National Stress Awareness Day (Nov 3) we’re encouraging employers to think about the issues your team may be facing and how you can help reduce stress and prevent burnout.
Everyone experiences stress from time to time, but when it is excessive or prolonged, it is likely to lead to physical or mental illness and employee burnout. Many people are facing stressful situations at the moment, caused by factors in or outside of work, so they are likely to feel exhausted, unmotivated, distracted and unable to perform at their usual best.
Not only does this affect your employee but it can impact a whole team if not managed appropriately.
While employers should explore how to tackle any workplace factors contributing to stress (such as high workloads, workplace conflict, job security, etc) there will also be factors outside of work contributing to stress, especially in the current cost of living crisis, that employers cannot solve. However, they can help their employees generally to feel well supported, happier and more engaged, wherever the challenges are coming from. Here are some tips from our team on how to tackle stress in the workplace:
Train your line managers
“If managers are unsure of how to approach stress and avoid the subject completely, employees may feel wary of opening up to them and asking for help.
“It all starts from the top, so to ensure everyone feels comfortable speaking about stress and build the skills to have productive conversations about it, managers need to be adequately trained to address, or at the very least recognise, a mental health issue.
“Our Wellbeing Toolkit gives managers practical advice on mental health and wellbeing and the tools to plan proactively, the confidence to identify problems and deal with them, and the awareness to help prevent issues from escalating or arising, especially where they are caused by workplace factors.
“It is common that managers fear they are going to say the wrong thing if they approach the subject of mental health – training will help teach them how to start the conversation, how to recognise the warning signs and how to find the right resources available.”
Heidi, HR & Training Consultant
Introduce a Wellness Action Plan
“Employers must be equipped with the tools to communicate with employees about the risks of stress and mental health issues, and to deal with them when they arise.
“One of the most effective tools for achieving this is a Wellness Action Plan (WAP). This is a documented discussion with every employee about what keeps them well at work, what are possible triggers for stress, what are signs that they are struggling, and agreed actions for when stress or mental health issues arise. A well-developed and implemented plan gives managers the confidence that they will know what to do if problems occur, gives employees confidence that managers know what can cause stress and how to support them, and should help prevent stress and mental health issues occurring in the first place.
“Encouraging your teams to actively participate in creating their WAP helps manage expectations on both sides while opening a meaningful conversation between you and team members.”
Sam, HR consultant
Build a culture of recognition and involvement
“A toxic workplace culture can be the culprit if there are high levels of stress in a workplace. It can lead to low morale, and harm relationships between your managers and employees.
“The use of recognition and rewards is an excellent technique to cultivate a healthy environment and show appreciation for your teams’ hard work.
“Feedback should be given more frequently than a once-a-year appraisal. Take time to celebrate good work and achievement throughout the week – feeling noticed and feeling valued lowers stress. Having regular, structured one-to-ones that involve employees in decisions that affect them, and provides opportunity for two-way communication, recognition and support, can be part of this approach.”
Emily, HR Consultant
Appoint mental health champions
“Having dedicated and visible mental health champions or mental health first aiders in the organisation will help to remove stigma, open up the conversations around stress and mental health and makes available someone to go to if employees need support. This is particularly helpful if an employee feels uncomfortable speaking to their manager about it. Whilst these champions and MHFAs may not be able to solve the underlying issue, they can provide valuable support and signpost professional help where appropriate and can support an employee to speak with their manager if there is a workplace issue causing stress.
Mental health champions can lead efforts to organise activities each month to raise awareness of mental health and boost team wellbeing such as a virtual coffee and chat and can be a great way of getting your employees talking to each other and providing valuable, one-to-one support.
Kirsty, HR Advisor
Allow a ‘right to disconnect’ for a better work/life balance
“To guard against stress, your team will need time to switch off from work, to rest and recover so they can perform at their best when they are back at work. Providing the ‘right to disconnect’ can support this.”
“The right to disconnect allows employees to really detach from work outside of their normal working hours. They know it is ok to turn off their phones, and to not check or respond to emails so they enjoy their free time away from work without being disturbed – unless there is an emergency or agreement to do so, for example while ‘on call’.
“Not only can it help reduce stress and promote greater staff wellbeing, it is also an effective way to show that your business cares for its employees, something that can help retain staff and attract talent.”
Nicola, HR Consultant
Don’t forget about communication
“Keeping employees up to date with any workplace changes, expectations and their own performance not only keeps them on track but also reduces feelings of stress and anxiety – after all, there is nothing worse than being kept in the dark.
“The more you communicate with your employees, the more likely they are to share not just concerns but also ideas and thoughts with you, making for much stronger working relationships and a healthier overall company culture.
“Also, if you as a manager or employer are supportive of the effects of stress and if appropriate, are happy to share your own experiences, this will have a positive effect on company culture and give a positive message to all employees.”
Tina, HR Administrator
Be mindful of presenteeism
Many people suffering with stress keep going, and often put in longer hours to try and get ahead. This can, unfortunately, lead to burnout.
“Keep in mind that stress does not automatically lead to poor performance – in fact, many people with mental health problems perform highly, some with, and others without, support or adjustments.
“In other words, stress looks different for different people, so keep an eye on any individuals that are working more hours than normal, even if they appear to be coping.”
Karolina, HR Advisor
We can help you to develop a wellbeing strategy and implement initiatives including people practices, management approaches, policies, and training that will build a mentally healthy workplace and reassure your staff that you care about their health and wellbeing.
Get in touch today if you want to talk about how we can support your efforts to combat workplace stress via info@realityhr.co.uk or 01256 328428.