According to the American Institute of Stress, more than 80% of workers feel stressed at work, and nearly half say they need help managing stress. That’s a huge number. With an ongoing global pandemic, uncertainties like big resignations and big attrition-there are enough to stress in the world already! Despite the fact that some amount of work-related stress can be productive, this is definitely not the right time for organizations to have their employees experience work-related stress. Work environments with a high level of stress cause employees to become disengaged and less productive. Globally, employees have felt overburdened with work as organizations have started employing remote and hybrid workforces in the wake of the pandemic.
Clearly, all of these have adversely affected employee well-being. Especially for remote employees, the work-life balance is often disrupted, negatively affecting their mental health. Now that we are halfway through 2022, it is high time for managers to cater to the specific needs of their employees and ensure a stress-free work environment. We will explore some of the most important ways that managers can help their employees cope with stress at work in this article.
Work-related stress is caused by demands and pressures at work that exceed one’s skills or knowledge or ability to cope with it. Stress in the workplace is often the inevitable amount of stress that can be acceptable. However, when that pressure becomes excessive, it can create burns, which affects both the employee’s health and performance.
Top tips for reducing employee stress in the workplace:
Adhere to their working hours
It doesn’t matter if your employees work remotely or onsite, always make sure they respect dedicated working hours. Especially for employees who work remotely, the pandemic has often extended working hours. While there are benefits to working from the comfort of your home, it usually obscures the line between work and leisure.
As a manager, encourage your employees not to receive work-related calls or emails after work hours. Make sure your team members can enjoy a healthy work-life balance instead of working on the weekends!
Avoid friction between on-site employees and remote employees
As more and more hybrid workplaces emerge, the friction between on-site and remote employees is increasing. When both types of employees work on a team, it is natural to have some friction during the first few days. In these cases, managers need to step up and resolve those issues so that things don’t get worse.
While remote employees feel burdened with more work and excluded from core staff, on-site employees feel they don’t have enough work flexibility. To resolve this friction, make sure you understand the issues facing both sides. Clearly define “flexibility” within an organization and make sure all your employees have the same freedom. Plus, you can always hold meetings for all your employees outside of work to have connecting sessions between staff members.
Be clear about explaining priorities
Especially for new employees, employees are often confused about their employment priorities. This makes them take on an unnecessary workload and take on it.
As a manager, it is always advisable to be clear when explaining job priorities to your employees. Tell them about tasks that need to be completed urgently and about the ones that can wait. This would help your employees organize their schedules and allocate the right amount of time to complete each task.
Set reasonable goals
While it is beneficial to push employees to do their best by setting stricter goals, it should be limited. Nowadays, employees around the world are already going through a lot and they should never be overwhelmed by the need to achieve more than they are capable of.
Make sure you are reasonable and set goals for your employees. Think about the skills and potential of each employee before assigning them tasks. This can be a challenging task as a manager, but always make sure your employees are able to push themselves to achieve more without breaking down.
Use of digitization to reduce manual attempts
In the age of digitalization, no employee would be willing to manually undertake repetitive processes if they can be easily automated. As a manager, leverage your initiative to implement modern tools within your organization that reduce the time and effort of your employees. This would help them use their time and energy to carry out more productive and fulfilling tasks.
Final Thoughts
These have been some of the most essential ways managers can help employees cope with stress at work. Looking at everything going on in the world, the last thing you want as a manager is a team of stressed and frustrated employees. Make sure you prioritize your employees’ needs and preferences to provide them with a stress-free environment and help them maximize their potential. Rezolve.ai’s Advanced service desk automation system is crucial to gaining an edge in enhancing employee productivity and creating a happy and motivated work atmosphere for employees.
BY LINDSEY BENSON IN HEALTH
