You’d be forgiven for thinking that this year has been anything but stressful, and now that New Zealand is officially amid a recession, stress won’t only manifest at home but also in the workplace. And while you can’t completely remove it from the workplace, as a business owner or manager you can take proactive steps to minimise it as much as possible.

Not only does workplace stress account for lost productivity, increased presenteeism, and reduced staff satisfaction, but it also impacts your employees’ well-being at work and home.

So, let’s talk about some simple strategies you can implement that will help avoid stress negatively impacting your workforce. Here we share 10 ways you can reduce stress in your workplace and promote employee well-being at the same time.

The presence of stress isn’t uncommon, but it’s how you manage it that makes all the difference – not just for your business but for your staff as well.

1. Manage excessive workloads

There’s an old saying that goes, ‘If you want something done, give it to someone who’s busy’, but giving work to an already overloaded and exhausted employee can ultimately lead to disaster. Managing excessive workloads begins with regularly checking in with your employees about their task load, ensuring that your staffing levels are accurate, and your business isn’t taking on more than it can reasonably handle.

2. Encourage and provide regular breaks

Promoting any opportunity for employees to take a break is the first step to ensuring your staff are getting up and moving around during the working day. So, whether you’re sending out company-wide reminders or your employees need a nudge, encouraging them to take regular breaks will help them reset and refocus before jumping back into work.

3. Rest, relax, and reset: create a welcoming and calm environment

Noise, whether it’s the clicking of a keyboard or tools working away, we can’t escape it. Some people thrive in it, and others need peace. Even if we don’t mind the general chatter of an office space, kitchen, or work site, sometimes we need a quiet place. Creating and enforcing a calm space for your employees where they can rest, relax, and reset will become an invaluable asset to your business. Allowing your team to switch off and have a zone where the stress melts away can improve productivity and overall employee satisfaction.

4. Minimise meetings and note-taking

Most, if not all our meetings today are conducted on a screen, with hybrid working models and teams scattered across the country making in-person meetings harder to organise. There are many ways we share information whether it’s via instant message apps, phone, or email, but it’s always best to make it clear what warrants a meeting and what doesn’t. Communication is key in any workplace and ensuring your team can speak up and say they might not bring value to a planned discussion, will help you streamline meetings, and ensure that only those who are required will be in attendance.

5. Don’t just encourage health and well-being, prioritise it

Regular exercise and healthy eating choices are key ingredients that can improve your mood and boost your immune system. And when employees are stressed these important parts of our day-to-day life are often the first things to fall from the to-do list. Whether it’s being mindful on a Monday or feeling good on a Friday, there are many ways businesses can encourage health and well-being activities within their organisation.

  • Mindful Mondays: suggest tuning into a meditative podcast during lunchtime.
  • Tasty Tuesdays: circulate an easy-to-make healthy snack with your team.
  • Wellness Wednesdays: promote the benefits of exercise by incorporating walking meetings into the day.
  • Thirsty Thursdays: challenge your staff to increase their water intake, aim for two litres a day.
  • Feel Good Fridays: inspire competitiveness with a step challenge.

6. Set clear expectations

If a staff member’s role or responsibilities aren’t clear from the start it will only lead to frustration and pent-up stress. Ensuring every employee has concise and detailed directions is essential in setting clear expectations, rules, and responsibilities. If you have any specific requirements for a task, you should make that very clear from the beginning – it’ll improve efficiency, reduce pressure, and minimise the likelihood of time-wasting.

7. Embracing flexibility, and supporting work-life balance

In today’s world, we place a greater emphasis on our work-life balance than ever before, and now that flexibility in how we work has become a core ingredient in our jobs, it’s given many employees the work-life balance that’s been missing in the five-day, location-based work week. Returning to the office isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario; it should aim to achieve the balance each employee is looking for – this will not only make your employees feel valued but also that they’re trusted to complete their work.

Let’s face it, at the end of the day if the work is done and your employees are happy, everybody wins!

8. Communicate consistently and clearly

When employees talk, employers should listen – communication is the starting point for change and growth, it helps businesses identify needs and adjust. Listening to your people whether it’s through passing comments, formal performance reviews, or employee engagement surveys, following through with effective actions can make all the difference. Encouraging open and honest interactions will not only assist in clearly setting standards and expectations but also allow your staff to have an outlet to share their stress.

9. Bonding and comradery

You can’t put a price on workplace culture, and a good place to start is fostering a social culture that’s inclusive and open to all. This ensures that activities and events cater to the different personalities that co-exist in the workplace. Whether they’re in-person, after hours, or virtual during work hours, these events help forge a sense of comradery and can give employees a support system, so they feel they’re alone with their stress.

10. Lead by example

When it comes to people management, honesty is the best policy. It’s essential that you lead by example when it comes to workplace stress, embodying the values and virtues of your workplace is a good place to start – it’ll help build a culture of openness and transparency. Recognising and appreciating the efforts of your employees will help make employees feel like they’re valued whilst also ensuring that their health and well-being are a priority.

Use this digital tool to give staff a great experience when they have to interact with HR

Managing each step of the employee lifecycle seamlessly is a key part of ensuring your business is providing the best possible employee experience from recruitment and onboarding to performance management and termination. With enableHR’s cloud-based software, you’ll have access to workflows and checklists that guide you through smart, legally compliant HR processes without any headaches.

Get a demo and see how enableHR allows you to easily manage your people.

Looking to take your HR to the next level? Our team is happy to answer all your questions. Call us on our toll-free number 0800 510 004, or fill out this form for a prompt call-back.