Working life in the 21st century can be extremely stressful. Anyone within a position of responsibility can tell you that with ironclad sincerity.
However, this isn't a trait reserved only for high-ranking management roles; even call centre staff and admin workers can feel the heat from time to time and the cloud of stress doesn't discriminate.
As an employer, knowing how to manage this workplace stress can be a key factor in the health of your team and, ultimately, the success of your business.
This blog aims to help you shake those stresses and maintain a harmonious blossoming environment within your office walls. So, without further ado, let's find out how employers can reduce stress in the workplace.
How to Create a Less Stressful Work Environment
While it would be easy for anyone to suggest offering private healthcare and higher salaries as a means of reducing stress in your workplace, realistically this simply isn't a financially viable option for many small/medium-sized businesses.
That being said, that doesn't mean your hands are completely tied. There are still a few tried and tested techniques that can have a positive impact on workplace anxiety without dramatically shaving your profits.
If you're truly serious about reducing stress in the workplace, actions speak louder than words. Alter your approach to the working environment by following these three simple steps and reduce stress in the workplace instantly.
Flexibility
Work/life balance is an increasingly important subject when it comes to anxiety in the workplace. If one side of that equation falls by the wayside, it can very quickly affect the other.
A great way to combat this element is to introduce flexible working arrangements, such as working from home days and flexi-time.
Situations will inevitably arise that require workers to leave early or arrive late, whether it's traffic, medical appointments or childcare restrictions. If strict 9-5 attendance is enforced, this can naturally become extremely stressful.
Racing to work every morning is a common activity for a lot of workers and can be a huge stress factor for many, particularly if childcare arrangements dictate when they can leave the house.
Taking a more relaxed approach to how the weekly hours are made up can allow employees to better organise their lives outside the office, which will ultimately result in a better, more productive atmosphere inside it.
Office Mobility
Staying mobile in a sedentary office environment can be difficult, particularly if hard deadlines are looming and work needs to be done on a strict timescale.
That being said, being sat at your desk staring into a box for eight hours is not good either and can have a notable knock-on effect on the quality of output and, as a result, stress levels.
Encourage employees to leave their desks periodically throughout the day to help them retain their focus and avoid burnout. The "Sit 60/Move 3" rule is an easy rule to implement, promoting three minutes of motion every hour.
Similarly, extended exposure to screen glare can also negatively impact eye health. Applying a comparable approach to optical health can also have a positive effect on the quality of work.
Opticians and eye specialists commonly recommend the 20-20-20 technique, whereby you spend 20 seconds every 20 minutes looking at something 20 feet away.
Promoting Health
Even if you take a hard-nosed approach that completely takes empathy out of the equation, it's worth remembering that stress contributes greatly to health and a sickly worker will inevitably translate to an absent worker, which benefits no-one.
The last thing you want is to have the demands of the job impact the health of your employees. As such, actively promoting health and well-being within the office is a great way to help ensure your workers stay fighting fit and good to go.
Offering healthy perks for your staff – such as free fruit – can have a huge upside for relatively little cost, while office support groups can provide a low-cost outlet for mental stress as well.
In addition to providing healthy options for your staff, these simple implementations also show that you and your company care about employee morale and welfare, which can be just as important in itself.
For more tips on how to create a less stressful work environment, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0203 225 5120 or get in touch online using the button below. If you enjoyed reading about reducing stress in the workplace, be sure to keep an eye out on our blog for more similar topics!
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