How to support staff with work-related stress

Work-related stress costs the UK economy between £21.6 billion and £57.4 billion per year.

Stress can develop in any job, even if you love what you do. With deadlines, busy periods and big projects being a part of normal working life, the workplace can be especially prone to stressful situations. A build-up of stress can have negative consequences for employees ranging from fatigue to a lack of motivation and anxiety.

Stress not only takes a toll on employees, but it can also negatively impact your business. Even if you think you have the right support systems in place, things like overworking, staff shortages, lack of signposting for support and a lack of manager and leadership training can have a detrimental effect on one’s stress levels.

Employers need to create a working environment that inspires employees to work hard and enjoy coming to work every day by improving mental health at work. They also need to focus on counteracting sources of stress and giving employees a chance to feel motivated and re-energised. And while it may seem like a huge task, it’s necessary to protect the output, reputation and revenue of your business.

What causes workplace stress?

One of the most common causes are lots of deadlines and big projects. However, many instances of work-related stress can be caused by you. Yes, the employer. How you uphold and create your company culture and ricochet throughout your business and contribute to:

• Unsafe working conditions

• A toxic working culture

• A place of poor reputation to work (or buy from)

• Unsustainable ways of working

• Health concerns

• Breaking the law

The latter part is of particular importance alongside the wellbeing of your people. As a business, you must comply with health and safety regulations, as well as the Equality Act 2010 among others. If work-related stress is not mitigated to the best your ability, then the chance of litigation increases.

• Too much (or too little) to do

• A lack of progression opportunities

• Poor working conditions

• A lack of control

• No support in the face of unfair treatment and/or bullying

• No opportunity for training and development

• Low or no trust in their manager or business as a whole

What if stress is caused outside of work?

Then you still have a duty of care to safeguard them in work. We all have different tolerances and resilience levels towards stress, and when significant life events happen such as moving house, divorces or a bereavement, the employee needs to feel as though they can talk about it and get support in order to work at their usual capacity.

Work-related stress and its consequences on businesses

When someone experiences work-related stress over a prolonged period of time, it can take a huge toll on the body and mind. It impacts businesses due to:

• Presenteeism (being at work whilst feeling unwell)

• Increased absence rates

• Poor productivity

• Lack of engagement

• Neglection of self-care

• Irritability

• The employee not being their usual self

• Isolation and withdrawal

Work-related stress majorly increases absences – which can be a huge cost to the business. In some cases, this may lead to long-term sickness, especially if the employee has experienced stress for a long period of time without intervention or has a condition that makes them prone to stress. In fact, in 2022/23, there were an estimated 875,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety, resulting in 17.1 million working days lost.

How businesses can reduce work-related stress

Working with your HR team (in-house or otherwise), you can have policies and procedures in place to safeguard against work-related stress. Here are some of our top ways to ensure the psychological safety of your staff and minimise work-related stress.

1. Introduce wellness schemes

Exercise and a healthy lifestyle are imperative when it comes to combating work-related stress. Employee wellness schemes, such as introducing office gym classes or running company-wide healthy eating challenges are a good way to help employees unwind and feel better about their wellbeing.

2. Create social activity

Employees spend a lot of time with their co-workers and therefore it’s important they get along with each other. The more people enjoy their time at work, the better the atmosphere will be – and a better office atmosphere leads to higher levels of productivity, creativity and collaboration. Setting aside an hour sporadically to bring your team together in a fun environment, can be great for reducing employee stress, boosting morale and team building.

3. Communicate with your employees

Open communication is critical in leadership; keeping employees up to date regarding changes, expectations and their own performance not only keeps them on track but also reduces feelings of stress and anxiety. It is important to keep employees well-informed of the latest developments and departmental changes. What’s more, open communication is a two-way relationship and the more employers converse with employees, the more likely employees are to share concerns, ideas and thoughts. This will work towards creating much stronger working relationships and a healthier overall company culture.

4. Provide a ‘relaxation’ space for staff

Sometimes people need 15 minutes to relax, re-group, disengage from technology and general work-related interactions. Providing a quiet room or a ‘relaxation’ zone where employees can spend 15 minutes with their thoughts, can dramatically help reduce stress. After taking a short break free from distractions, people often feel refreshed and re-energised to tackle the rest of the day.

5. Awareness days

By arranging staff fundraising for charities on specific awareness days, you are helping your employees manage their stress levels. By taking the focus off their own stress-related issues, you are encouraging your workforce to shift their attention onto helping others less fortunate than them themselves.

6. Prioritising workloads

Within a busy office environment, stress often occurs as a result of situations that fall beyond the employees’ control, for example, a deadline being brought forward. In this instance, employees tend to adopt a frantic approach to their work in order to get everything done at once. Try to encourage your workers to focus on the things they can control and create numbered to-do lists that will prioritise their workload, rather than becoming overwhelmed.

How an Employee Assistance Programme can help against work-related stress

Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) help employees with their mental health and wellbeing, and also provide support to employers looking to get the best out of their employees. At HA | Wisdom Wellbeing, we provide in-the-moment support 24/7, 365 days a year, as well as HR and Management advice lines for managers and leaders within your business who need advice. By providing your people with confidential support outside of the business, they can feel supported and better able to seek employee counselling at a time that suits them. We also help businesses by supporting them with ways to increase EAP usage, and provide insightful content to support both you and your people.

Conclusion

While we can’t control how people feel, we can give them consistent reminders and support for when they need it. How work-related stress is managed starts at the top of the chain, and by giving your employees what they need to thrive and manage their stress, you can see the returns and reduce costs associated with absences.