How do you manage stress in the workplace?
14 November 2024
Workplace stress is a productivity killer, increases absenteeism and can lead to occupational burnout, which can take months to recover from. Stress can also cause or worsen physical illness, making managing workplace stress essential. Employers have a legal responsibility to mitigate excess workplace stress, and during this blog, we’ll provide proactive and practical ways to reduce the risks.
Summary:
What causes stress in the workplace?
Recognising the Signs of Workplace Stress
Which Groups are Most Impacted by Workplace Stress?
Why do organisations need to manage work-related stress?
Practical and Proactive Ways to Manage Workplace Stress
Managing Workplace Stress with Pluxee UK
Join Us in Enhancing Employee Wellbeing and Reducing Workplace Stress Today
What causes stress in the workplace?
Stress and burnout aren’t the same, but when an employee experiences excessive stress levels for too long, they’re at risk of burnout. Dr Keith Grimes shares a personal account of his experiences with burnout in his guest blog, Reaching & Recovering From Burnout: Breaking the Stigma.
Stress is a reaction to excessive pressure. While a bit of stress can be positive, driving us to achieve our goals. Still, with a 20% increase in recent months of those searching for support with workplace burnout (HR News), it’s clear workplace stress is becoming too much for too many.
It’s important to note that employees can bring personal stress to the workplace, which may amplify workplace stress or lessen their ability to manage it. Personal stress is still your business because it impacts it, so when we share practical ways to manage employee stress, we also consider external factors.
Six common causes of stress at work include:
- Poor management
- Workplace conflicts
- Excessive workload
- Lack of trust and stability
- Lack of flexibility
- Pay transparency and more.
Honest communication is vital when exploring the cause of workplace stress, as there are several possibilities, and the response will vary from person to person.
Recognising the Signs of Workplace Stress
You can’t always wait for your employees to come to you. Recognising the signs of workplace stress is a must. Our Employer’s Guide to Recognising and Resolving Employee Burnout contains an employer and employee checklist you can use to start the dialogue around workplace stress. It also details the five stages of employee burnout.
Signs of Stress in Teams
There will be telltale signs that your team is feeling the harmful effects of excess stress. Here are a few to look out for:
- Conflict and arguments
- High employee turnover
- Increased absenteeism
- Lower productivity.
You may find that more employees report cases of stress or even raise grievances with colleagues to HR.
Signs of Stress in an Employee
Some signs of employee stress may present as disengagement, such as:
- An employee takes more time off.
- Their timekeeping and attendance drop.
- The quality of their work reduces.
How do we distinguish between an unengaged and a highly stressed employee?
Recognising a change in emotions and character can only happen when managers are empathetic, well-trained and know their people. Without this, you may miss the signs of stress and the opportunity to provide vital support.
Physical and emotional signs of excess employee stress include:
- Increased or out-of-character nervousness.
- Drastic and unexpected mood swings.
- An employee becoming withdrawn.
- There’s a new lack of interest, motivation, commitment and confidence.
- Emotional reactions intensify, such as being more tearful, sensitive or aggressive.
This list shows why it’s essential that managers take the time to get to know their employees and have an awareness of when things aren’t quite right.
Which Groups are Most Impacted by Workplace Stress?
Statistics show which gender, age group and profession are most at risk of workplace stress and burnout.
Women Leaders
The gender stress divide isn’t limited to women in leadership, with 43% of women reporting feeling burnt out, compared to 31% of men (McKinsey). Still, as women progress through life and ‘climb the ladder,’ the risk of burnout increases.
There are multiple reasons cited, including perimenopause and menopause, but also home life. 54% of senior-level female leaders feel exhausted compared to 41% of men (The Glass Hammer).
We discuss the impact menopause has on working women in our blog - Menopause Support in the Workplace - but to reiterate, 8/10 menopausal women are in work.43.8 is the median age of general and operations managers, and the average age of female workers is 42.1 (Team Stage). Menopause generally starts from age 44 onwards, with perimenopause starting even earlier, so many women reach a position of leadership at an age when they may also experience hormonal changes, increasing the risk of excess stress.
A Generational Divide
In our blog, Reduce Employee Stress with Physical Wellbeing Benefits; we reveal that those aged between 35 and 44 are the most stressed age group, and 60% of 18 to 24-year-olds report that their high-stress levels are down to the pressure they feel to succeed.
Impacted Industries
Unsurprisingly, the healthcare sector is the most stressful industry, with 80% of doctors reporting feeling stressed or burnt out (MQ Mental Health Research). The pandemic left its mark on the NHS, and it has yet to recover. Education, hospitality, and those in the legal profession are close behind, each reporting considerably high rates of employee stress.
Why Do Organisations Need to Manage Work-Related Stress?
There are laws to follow on stress in the workplace, and the HSE also provides risk assessment documentation for your business to adopt. Employers must assess the risks of work-related stress in the workplace and take action to protect workers. You could review policies on bullying, harassment, and discrimination and check that your first aid needs assessment considers physical and mental health needs.
Work-related stress, anxiety, or depression accounted for 55% of all working days lost due to ill health in 2021 (HSE), and poor mental health is estimated to cost UK employers £56 billion per year (Deloitte).
Workplace stress is costing your business through increased absenteeism and loss of productivity, and in the stat above, we can offer 56 billion reasons to become stress-aware in your business. Always remember that every £1 spent on improving your employees’ mental wellbeing will yield a £5 return due to reduced absenteeism and presenteeism (Deloitte).
Practical and Proactive Ways to Manage Workplace Stress
You can’t alleviate all sources of stress in the workplace and your employees’ personal lives. However, you can make life at work and home more joyful for them.
Open Communication
One of the first things you must tackle when trying to manage workplace stress is communication. Your employees need to feel comfortable and confident speaking with their managers and leaders, knowing that they will be heard when they come to them for support.
Discover the importance of open communication in our blog, Change lives… make time to talk.
Culture & Flexibility
A positive workplace culture is fundamental to managing workplace stress. Toxic cultures breed stress, potentially costing you your talent. Dive into our blog - Transform Your Workplace Culture: A Practical Guide to Change - to discover why your culture matters and how to improve it.
Flexibility is essential, especially for working parents and carers, but what do we mean by flexibility? Beyond work location and trusting that employees can make their working hours fit around their lives, being flexible also includes giving employees autonomy over how they approach their work. Rigid practices and procedures can be a blocker, causing additional employee stress.
Removing Barriers
Women shouldn’t feel unable to share when they take time off work due to menstrual challenges and changes, and 46% of UK employees shouldn’t fear facing discrimination in their workplace due to mental health issues. Remove the stigma by normalising conversations around employee mental health and ensure you train your managers effectively to minimise the risk of excess stress.
Prioritising Employee Wellbeing
Build employee wellbeing into your core values, and it will feed through to every other strategy that enhances your business: employee benefits, recruitment and retention, and employee engagement. When employee wellbeing is at the heart of all you do, you’ll reflect it in everything you do, reducing workplace stress.Explore The Evolution and Growing Importance of Employee Wellbeing.
Managing Workplace Stress with Pluxee UK
At Pluxee UK, we offer a range of employee benefits to enhance employee financial, mental, and physical wellbeing, reducing employee stress.
Employee Assistance Programme
Tackling excess stress is crucial, but it’s also important to remember that your employees will all react to stress differently. Be proactive. Empower your people to recognise the signs of mental ill health and give them a safe place to turn when they need support. Our Employee Assistance Programme includes resources for managers to support their people and advice on financial matters, like unexpected bills and debt, legal advice, relationships, and parenting.
Most importantly, it includes 24/7 access to BACP-accredited counsellors and a dedicated menopause support service.
Health and Wellbeing Benefits
Exercise is a stressbuster, and our discounted Gym Memberships make it more affordable for your people to get active. Whether at home, via discounted digital platforms, or with one of the over 3,000 gyms and fitness centres across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Online GP, our digital health platform, speeds up access to GP appointments, helping employees get their health needs met more quickly and alleviating the stress of waiting weeks for a GP appointment.
Financial Wellbeing
Our Employee Discounts Platform is the heart of our financial wellbeing offering, making everyday living more affordable and enjoyable. With up to 20% discounts on what matters most to your employees, you’re alleviating the cost of living life and reducing financial anxiety. When your employees become more financially resilient, you empower them to better manage workplace stress.
Reward and Recognition
Lack of appreciation can increase employee stress, especially when they go above and beyond to achieve results. A thank you costs nothing but holds a lot of power - reward power. Employee rewards boost morale and can improve employees’ finances, reducing stress levels.
Virtual Pluxee Card
Stretch salaries with our Pluxee Card. Once it’s in your employees’ hands or eWallet, you can top it up whenever you want to recognise and reward them. The fact that your employees can earn up to 15% cashback when they use it with over 80 participating retailers is a bonus.
eVouchers
Brilliant for ad hoc rewards, birthdays, and Christmas, our eVouchers are an inclusive employee reward, giving access to the widest choice of retailers. Whether your employees use them to help towards the cost of the weekly shop or a treat for the family, our eVouchers ensure your employees feel recognised and appreciated.
Join Us in Enhancing Employee Wellbeing and Reducing Workplace Stress Today
We’re committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent your employees from being as well as they can be - physically, mentally, and financially.
At Pluxee, we’re all about making more of life and adding that extra bit of joy that brightens our days. We shape the world of employee benefits and engagement by bringing to life a personalised and sustainable employee experience at work and beyond. For over four decades, we have been contributing to making work not just a place to be but a place to belong.
