Employee stress, what can you do to help?
As a manager, you should always be concerned with how your team are performing. One thing that can have a big impact on that is stress, and therefore it is very much your responsibility to lower that stress as much as possible. If you learn how to do this, this can really help.
What can cause stress in the workplace?
There are many things that can cause stress in the workplace, and the main two things are having too much work to do and too little time, and issues with colleagues. Not only this, but those on low salaries are more likely to be stressed, as were those who had little or no chance of climbing the career ladder in their current position. Over half of workers state that they feel as though they need help in managing their stress, and as a manager, this is often down to you to instigate.
How you can reduce stress in the workplace
The good thing is that there are a few things that you can do to help reduce the amount of stress that employees in the workplace experience. The first thing that you can do is make sure that you are clear in your goal setting. This gives your team a real focus, with little confusion during the job. The means that they’re sure what needs to be done, so they can just go and do it.
Also, a flexible working environment can help a lot. This means that you can be supportive to those who need to work hours that suit their children, or to those with health conditions. You may put in place a scheme whereby team members can work from home for a day each week, and this can help to reduce the pressure your team are under.
In addition, it is a great idea to recognise the achievements and efforts of your employees where possible. Doing this would mean that you could give them something to aim for, and then reward them for what they get right. This could be in the form of an employee of the month award, or monetary vouchers awarded monthly – no matter what the reward, it can be a good incentive and a great stress reducer.
So, to be a good manager, it is clear that you simply have to address the issue of employee stress. By keeping communication channels open, and making the most of the tips above, you should find that overall stress levels can reduce. This will have excellent effects on your team overall, and therefore your company in the long term.