Managing Employee Stress

Stressed out employees are not efficient employees. They’re more likely to make mistakes and more likely to call in sick. And who wants a job with constant stress? Most of us don’t—which means high employee stress levels can also be a recipe for high employee turnover.

But what can employers do to manage employee stress levels?

Tips for Managing Employee Stress Levels

Thankfully, employers do have some influence over stress levels and can take action to combat excessive stress in the workplace. Here are some ideas.

• Be a source of help. Ensure that employees know who they can turn to when the workload is overwhelming. Ensure they also know where to go with workplace problems—even if those problems are with their direct supervisor. When employees know they have outlets to get assistance, they’ll be more inclined to do so.
• Provide good tools and processes. It’s amazing the difference having the right tools makes. If employees are wasting time and energy on tasks that could be accomplished more efficiently, it can increase stress. Assess what tools and processes could be improved to maximize employee efficiency.
• Ensure employees take vacations. When an employer wants to increase productivity, it may seem counterintuitive to consider sending employees out of the workplace. But often that’s exactly what is needed to reduce stress levels and have much more productive employees in the long run. Consider having a PTO or vacation policy that includes mandatory minimum days taken off each year. This can help to ensure that employees get that much-needed time away to recharge—and you’ll both be better off when they return.
• Consider implementing employee wellness programs. Health concerns can create or increase stress levels, regardless of the work situation. By encouraging healthy behaviors through a wellness program, employers can positively influence employee health, thus reducing the likelihood that health concerns will create an extra burden on employees. Employers could also consider offering courses on stress management (either within the wellness program or separate from it).
• Ensure good communication. Especially in times of uncertainty, be sure to not keep employees in the dark about major company policies or changes. When uncertainty abounds, employees may experience undue stress and worry over the unknown. While this is especially pertinent during times of change—such as layoffs or mergers—it’s still important during normal operations as well. Ample communication allows employees to feel as though they’re an integral part of the organization. It’s also critical to ensure that employees have a clear understanding of expectations—which can avoid misunderstandings later. Communicating about all available work benefits can also be useful; if an employee is not aware (or has forgotten) about resources available, he or she will be unable to partake of it.
• Implement an employee mentoring program. Both formal and informal mentoring programs can have an impact on employee stress levels. When employees feel they have someone to turn to with questions or concerns, that can ease stress. And employees can often help one another when empowered to do so.
• Provide positive feedback. Too often, organizations only give feedback to employees when something goes wrong. That can lead to frustration. Instead, consider encouraging an atmosphere of continual feedback, and encouraging positive feedback to happen more frequently than negative feedback. This can help employees—and managers—to keep perspective even when things get stressful.
• Have an antiharassment policy. If inappropriate behavior is tolerated in the workplace, it’s not surprising that this would lead to stressful situations for those who must bear the brunt of this behavior. Step number one for any employer is to ensure that all employees know that harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. Ensure that the antiharassment policy includes provisions outlining where to turn if harassment occurs. Employers should take any complaints seriously and investigate.
• Include stress-relief options at the worksite. Consider offering ways employees can manage stress while at work. For example, some employers have an on-site space for quiet time to de-stress during the day. Others have opted to provide stress-reduction options like on-site fitness centers or even massage therapists.
• Remember, home life matters. Often workplace stress is actually carryover stress from home. Consider offering an employee assistance program (EAP) to help employees manage whatever situation they’re facing. Also consider offering more flexible scheduling when applicable—which can go a long way to helping employees manage stressful home situations.

Managing employee stress levels can mean fewer mistakes and a more productive workforce. This directly impacts HR managers through less turnover and fewer employee complaints and problems. It’s in everyone’s best interest to minimize undue stress at work.