According to recent research, around half of UK employees have changed their jobs because of work related frustration and stress. This has also led to an increase in workers calling in sick due to the implications of their job role and work environment. Not only are these factors affecting employee wellbeing, but they could be having a damaging effect on your business.
Respondents of the research stated that the main source of their workplace stress was having to chase colleagues for updates and a lack of clarity by management when ask to complete a task. These issues can be easily avoided however, with proper training being given to all management and staff and having simple functions and processes implemented which are also easily accessible for employees to check when they need to. 63% of respondents admitted that they felt unclear about some of their company’s processes such as failures in employee onboarding and HR disciplinary processes.
All these factors are having a profound effect on the mental health of the UK workforce. But what can businesses do to help their employees?
Training
One of the first options to consider is mental health training within the workplace. Employees and especially managers can be trained in how to spot the signs of someone who may be struggling, and how they can best try to help that individual who may not feel comfortable beginning a conversation.
Communication
60.8% of professionals feel that they are unable to talk about mental health with their boss. By being open and discussing this issue with your staff and creating an environment and culture where workers feel safe, you can allow those who may be struggling to come forward without being worried about any potential repercussions.
Flexible working
There are several reasons why staff would become more productive if they were aloud to work with more flexibility. Whether this means reducing hours, the option to change their working schedule or even working from home, you can allow your employees to fit their work life around their home life, meaning they are less likely to fall behind. This can help workers who may need to work outside the office environment and the traditional rigid hours in order to perform to their full potential.
Promote Balance
Encourage your employees to switch off from their emails while out of the office, or perhaps introduce a cycle to work scheme or provide healthy snacks. All these gestures show that you care about your workers and it will help them to keep their minds focused.
Other tools
If you do have staff that are struggling, you may not always be the one who can help to fix the problem directly, however there is something you can do. There are many apps or websites readily available to anyone and they can provide many tools to help individuals manage stress and other issues they may be feeling. Alternatively, some employees may be more willing to talk to a professional to help them sort through any worries. In this case there are many services your company could outsource to which have mental health professionals and councillors equipped to deal with larger problems.
If you would like to discuss what your business can do to help your employees and perhaps improve productivity and staff retention in your workplace, then please contact us to discuss further.
