It’s time to prioritise mental health in the workplace. That was the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day on 10 October and it is a strategy to embrace throughout the year. However, to make workplace well-being a priority, we need to understand the root causes of employee stress. Then, we can implement small, yet significant steps to improve employee health, confidence, performance and retention.

3 Causes of Workplace Stress

Workplace pressures are nothing new. There have always been deadlines, long hours, difficult customers and conflicts of interest. Yet, the impact on our mental health is now more widely understood. As a result, it is more likely to be cited as a cause for absenteeism or resigning from a job.

In my work as a business psychologist, I am party to the issues that result in workplace stress. My experience points to three primary root causes that are common across all industries.

– Firstly, 24-hour connectivity and not feeling able to switch off.

– Secondly, financial pressures are on the minds of many workers. This can lead them to stay in roles that are impacting health, as they can’t risk a pay cut. Or, it can mean employees working two jobs or taking on overtime to make ends meet.

– Thirdly, poor leadership, where employees feel demotivated, unsupported and in some cases disadvantaged or harassed by managers.

Let’s look at potential solutions that can help improve workplace well-being for the benefit of employees and employers.

Avoiding Burnout at Work

Remote connectivity has brought many benefits to the modern workplace. For a start, it enables flexible working practices, which advantages many employees and companies. However, there is a flip side to being connected 24/7. That is the pressure to respond to emails and calls or catch up on a bit of work at all hours of the day or night.

Although long working hours might sound like an asset to businesses, this is not the case. We all need to switch off, relax and recharge to maintain performance. And, when we don’t disengage, it reduces our ability to sleep, focus and concentrate. For a prolonged period, this starts to impact our physical and mental health. Burnout is when this impact leaves us unable to cope.

The best way to reduce this and keep employees productive, happy and healthy is to have a Switch Off Policy.  This will identify the expectation to not send messages to colleagues and not to respond to client communication out of hours. Such a policy encourages a better work-life balance and makes it socially acceptable to unwind and enjoy external pursuits.

The Government have proposed employees ‘rights to switch off’ as part of their Make Work Pay strategy*, so this could become a legal requirement. However, you don’t need to wait for the law to make changes that are in the interest of employees and the business. In a recent YouGov report**, 20% of employees had taken time off as a result of burnout. Therefore, you can reduce absenteeism and aid retention by encouraging the team to switch off.

Reducing Financial Pressures

Many of your employees may struggle with the cost of living increases and household budgets. As a result, they are constantly thinking about avoiding or managing debt. The British Association of Counsellors and Psychologists identified financial pressures as the biggest threat to mental health for the UK workforce. Their research suggests that 79% of employees are negatively affected by how to cover costs and debt.

These financial pressures can lead employees to be overly focused on wages and pay increases. Equally, others will take on overtime or second jobs to increase income and that plays into issues of burnout previously mentioned. Unfortunately, businesses have also been affected by price rises and are in no position to just bump up wages. So, what is the solution?

Businesses can offer employees ways to cut costs, manage debt and even access unclaimed benefits. My suggestions are:

• Pre-tax payment schemes extend beyond pensions. Childcare vouchers, Cycle to Work and gym membership can be paid before tax is calculated. These reduce the cost to the employee, with no cost to the employer.
• Partnering with a local organisation to offer employees free debt advice appointments during lunch breaks or work hours. The specialists can help individuals understand and initiate affordable payment plans, budgets, payment holidays and other steps that prevent issues from spiralling.
• Many people are entitled to financial support that they are unaware of. By informing employees of benefits calculators, they may discover that they are entitled to payments that they’ve not been claiming.

Improving Leadership Skills to Boost Workplace Well-being

There are strong correlations between ineffective leadership and high rates of employee turnover and poor mental health. A good selection of research is shared in a journal article, Ineffective Leadership-induces Occupational Stress.

Unfortunately, many individuals are promoted into leadership roles without being provided with training or support in people management. They may be experts in their field, yet lack the knowledge of how to engage, motivate and empower their team. As a result, issues including micromanagement or not addressing problems, add to employee stress. Therefore, leadership training is one step that can transform workplace well-being. 

When your leaders gain the knowledge and skills to be effective, your company culture improves. One step in this process is recognising the strengths and skills held by your employees. For example, a strengths assessment can highlight what each member brings to the team and how to delegate the right person to projects. What’s more, understanding the team informs how best to motivate, support and challenge them.

Improving Workplace Well-being

We know that our experiences at work affect our attitudes, abilities and attendance. Therefore, it is in a company’s interest to implement steps to improve the mental health of employees. This article shows that these do not need to be large and expensive projects. Simple steps can make a difference.

With expertise in workplace mental health, I’m experienced in supporting organisations to put measures in place that support employee retention. My focus on well-being helps to maximise the potential of individuals and your business. So, get in touch to discuss your requirements.

*https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1885599/labours-plan-work-pay-right-switch-off-achievable

**https://mentalhealth-uk.org/blog/burnout-report-one-in-five-needed-to-take-time-off-work-due-to-stress-in-the-past-year/