5 things you can do as a manager to help employees who are suffering from stress

Many employees suffer from stress in the workplace, this can be caused by long hours, tight deadlines, being overworked or not receiving the required support from the manager.

Although some stress can be good, when the stress exceeds an employee’s comfort zone it can have adverse effects on an employee’s physical and mental health as well as job satisfaction.

As a manager, if you can remain calm in a stressful situation, it would become much easier for your employees to do the same.

As a manager you can do the following to help your employees:

• Communicate with your employees on a regular basis, have team meetings once a week, so that employees are kept up to date about new changes within the organisation.
• Introduce a wellness scheme at work such as a gym membership for your employees. Exercise of some sort if proven to reduce stress. Employees can attend the gym either at lunch or after work.
• Create a social activity, perhaps arrange a team lunch once a week, so employees feel valued and get to spend time with their colleagues in a more relaxed atmosphere. This will help them get along with each other and create a better office atmosphere, which in turn is likely to lead to increased productivity and a better team!
• Allow flexible working or remote working, which is good for staff morale and profitability.
• If you can, provide a place in the office where employees can take a “time out” for about 15 minutes to gather their thoughts away from the desk/technology.

Even the smallest of changes can help employees at work and avoid them being signed off sick for “work-related stress.”

If you have employees who are suffering from stress and need some advice, please contact our employment team on 020 7903 6888.