5 ways employers can manage stress in the workplace

Stress, depression, and anxiety are leading causes of work-related ill health, resulting in the highest proportion of lost working days. With 79% of people frequently experiencing stress, poor mental health at work contributes to an estimated  £28 billion in yearly losses, with employers losing 23.3 million working days.

Employers have a vested interest in addressing this issue for productivity reasons and because they have a legal duty to assess and share risks to employee health due to stress. For organisations with more than five employees, this includes completing a written risk assessment.

Given these factors, workplace wellbeing is increasingly becoming a priority. For example, our research found that 25% of employers have concerns about their employees’ mental health.

So, let’s explore some strategies to help you effectively manage stress and improve workplace performance.

Causes of workplace stress and burnout

Before diving into solutions, let’s look at how to identify stress in your team and examine the underlying causes.

Burnout is defined by the World Health Organization as “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”, symptoms of which include:

• Energy depletion or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance from the job or feelings of negativity
• Reduced professional efficacy

A report from workplace consultancy and global research firm Gallup revealed the top five causes of burnout at work, all of which are also backed up by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE). These are:

• Unfair treatment at work: Employees who feel unfairly treated are 2.3 times more likely to experience burnout. Examples of unfair treatment include bias, favouritism, and unfair levels of compensation. It could also apply to employees who feel there is a lack of accommodation for diversity in the workplace.
• Heavy workloads: Unmanageable workloads are a significant source of stress, which can lead to burnout, making employees feel like they cannot cope at work.
• Lack of clarity: According to Gallup’s research, only 60% of workers strongly agreed they knew what was expected of them at work. Employee stress levels can be increased if workers feel like the goalposts are continually shifting.
• Lack of support: Without support from a manager, employees may encounter an increasing number of stressful situations, especially if they feel they will be held responsible if anything goes wrong.
• Unreasonable time pressures: Employees who feel like they have sufficient time to get their work done are significantly less likely to feel high levels of stress or burnout. Conversely, unreasonable deadlines and heightened pressure can create a snowball effect, leaving workers at higher risk of being overwhelmed and burnout.

How to effectively manage and reduce workplace stress

So, while it’s unlikely you can create a completely stress-free environment, what can you do to reduce stress in the workplace? There are concrete steps to managing stressed employees while still encouraging a hard-working and competitive environment.

Here are 5 ways to manage stress in the workplace:

1. Talk about stress and wellbeing

Mental health and stress have historically had some stigma attached to them. By encouraging open communication and honest conversations about these topics in the workplace, employees and their managers will feel more empowered to address any problems related to stress at work.

Creating a culture were discussing sources of stress, whether work-related or from personal life, is normalised, can go a long way to helping employees who are feeling the strain. That’s because by giving employees the space to share their challenges and experiences openly, they can offer each other support along with strategies and practical solutions for coping with stress.

It also means they are more likely to seek help earlier, knowing that there is no stigma or shame attached to feeling stress, which will ultimately reduce workplace stress.

2. Recognise signs of stress

Stress is an inevitable part of work, especially in some industries. Recognising the symptoms of stress or burnout in the workforce is therefore crucial for employers to address the issue swiftly and effectively, and help employees to deal with stress.

The HSE advises that an employee’s change in behaviour could be a warning sign. This could include:

• Arriving late
• Mood swings
• Being withdrawn
• Loss of motivation or commitment
• Increased emotional reactions

Signs of stress within teams meanwhile could include arguments, higher staff turnover, more sickness leave, decreased performance, or more complaints. By identifying these signs of stress early, managers can intervene before stress starts to affect job performance and overall team dynamics too drastically.

3. Make wellbeing a part of the culture

Real wellbeing at work is more than just token gestures. To truly embed wellbeing in the company culture, employees should feel supported not only in their career goals but also in attaining their physical, social, community and mental goals to.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional body for HR, recommends a framework called ‘Mental Health at Work Commitment’, which has six standards providing a roadmap for better mental health for employees. These are:

1. To prioritise mental health in the workplace by developing and delivering a systematic programme of activity
2. To ensure work design and organisational culture drive positive mental health outcomes
3. To promote an open culture around mental health
4. To increase organisational confidence and capability
5. To provide mental health tools and support
6. To increase transparency and accountability through internal and external reporting

4. Equip managers with the tools they need

Totaljobs research shows only 8% of senior business decision-makers feel they are given sufficient support to help employees with mental health issues. Managers should be properly equipped to recognise the signs of stress and given the tools to implement changes that can relieve stress levels in their teams while setting clear expectations and remaining approachable to ensure workers feel supported to complete their work.

Employers can also provide managers with training on stress management techniques, conflict resolution, and how to create a supportive work environment. This will empower them to help reduce workplace stress and improve team wellbeing. One good way to equip managers to achieve this is to allow them to offer flexible working to their teams, which can significantly reduce the impact of workplace stressors.

5. Provide mental health tools and support

Employees who are struggling with their levels of stress may benefit from various mental health tools. These could include an action plan from mental health charities, such as Mind’s Wellness Action Plans.

Some organisations opt for offering counselling services to employees, usually through a scheme known as an employee assistance programme. Organisations linked to trade unions can also get help and support on mental health from them.

Whatever services or tools you opt for, make sure they will help staff to cope with stress better. And remember, without encouraging a healthy work-life balance, all the tools in the world won’t be able to help.

Reducing workplace stress

Understanding its causes is vital for employers who want to help their employees cope with stress. Once these causes are understood, you can start to implement strategies aimed at reducing stress in your workplace.

Creating a work environment where employees feel comfortable talking about stress and mental health is key, as is recognising signs of stress in your employees. Then, making wellbeing a part of the culture and giving managers and employees the tools they need are all part of helping employees manage stress at work.

Remember, workplaces are constantly evolving, meaning new risks and sources of stress are bound to emerge. As a result, your approach to dealing with stress also needs to evolve in order to meet the demands of the modern workplace.