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A business leader's guide to managing stress in the workplace

Posted by Oliver Corrigan on Nov 21, 2017 8:30:00 AM
Oliver Corrigan
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Did you know that 2 in 5 employees say stress has affected their health? With the growing demands of a 21st century workforce and the pressure of having to stay ‘switched-on’ at all times, stress in the workplace is becoming a serious business issue.

A shocking 300,000+ people lose their jobs every year over mental health. And with employee absence costing an average of £522 per person per year in lost working hours, this is an issue that business leaders need to tackle sooner rather than later.

As a business leader, it’s your job to monitor and support your team. There are certain aspects of your employees’ wellbeing that you have a legal obligation to cover. For example, with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. But it’s certainly in your interests to encourage aspects of employee wellbeing that the law doesn’t require you to cover.

A healthy workforce – both physically and mentally – can be vital in managing stress, and resultantly improving employee productivity. Did you know that happier workers are 12% more productive, on average?

 

1. Set an example

How can you expect your team to lead a healthy lifestyle if you’re not promoting this yourself? Some of the best ways to do this can be improving your diet, fitting in more exercise and taking part in other stress-reducing activities, for example yoga or mindfulness…

As a busy business leader, it can be difficult to find the time for all of this on a regular basis. An effective way to make sure that you and your team keep up with managing a healthy lifestyle is to take part in group sessions. For example, you could introduce a Friday yoga initiative across the organisation. Getting everyone involved in this way can also be a great way to bring your team closer together.

 

2. Communicate well with your team

Open and honest communication can make all the difference with employee wellbeing. Companies should be promoting a supportive culture where people feel they can talk to their manager about any problems. Make it clear that your door is always open to discuss any issues that your employees may have. This helps to create a more open company culture, encouraging employees to speak up when something is wrong rather than trying to manage it themselves, for example if they’re under a lot of stress.

This can work the other way too. As we mentioned in our previous blog, 50% of employees say that bosses sharing information and data has a significantly positive impact on productivity and motivation. Now we’re not telling you to share every little detail of your business. But sharing and keeping your team aware of company goals such as the turnover, sales targets, and profitability can be a good place to start. It’s up to you to decide what information you’re willing to share that would help boost trust amongst your employees.

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3. Use return to work interviews

If your employees need to take time off work as a result of stress – or any other health issue for that matter – it could be useful to complete a return to work interview. There’s a certain stigma with workplace stress, meaning that many employees are afraid to talk to their bosses about it in fear they’ll be perceived as being unable to handle their jobs. Return to work interviews give your employees the opportunity to talk about any stress-related issues with their line manager in confidence and work out a way to solve the problem together.

 

4. Team-building exercises

Team-building exercises can be a great way to manage stress in the workplace. They get your team working together (or against each other!) and can really get your creative juices flowing. As we mentioned in our previous blog ‘Ten summer office activities’, team-building can lead to increased morale, improved relationships and higher employee productivity. Team-building activities that involve exercise can be a great way to directly reduce stress too, as exercise produces endorphins in the brain – chemicals that act as natural painkillers.

 

5. Create a comfortable working environment

Everything in your working environment contributes to employee stress. The quality of the air in the office, the amount of space per employee, the availability of third space; it all makes a difference! At Carrwood Park, our luxury serviced offices were designed with employee wellbeing in mind. Our experienced team work with office furniture specialists to ensure our office space meets the needs of our residents. From the abundance of natural daylight in our buildings to ensuring that our offices are cleaned daily, we understand that even the smallest of things can have a huge impact on employee wellbeing…

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As Richard Branson once wrote, “No matter what your industry, your employees are your company’s real competitive advantage. They’re the ones making it happen – so long as their needs are met”. But it’s up to you to bring the best out in your employees and ensure that their needs are being met...

Are you looking for a comfortable working environment? Our luxury serviced offices in Leeds were built to enhance productivity and innovation. Why not book a viewing now?

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