It’s no secret that work places are one of the biggest contributors to stress.
Deadlines, extended work hours, shorter leaves, designation goals, unhealthy posture, untimely eating habits, etc., are well very known factors. In fact, it’s the same story in every company.
Stress deters one’s performance. It makes an employee less productive and inefficient. And, it spares nobody. Even an otherwise talented employee can succumb to stress and put in only 50% to the task than their usual 100%. The good news is, it can be tackled with a few corrective measures. It’s never too late!
So let’s take you through a few helpful tips that can work pretty effectively if followed through:
- Fixed work hours – Make sure that there is a strict policy in place that ensures employees don’t exceed the world hours assigned to them. No only does this help them plan out their day better and achieve a good work-life balance, but it motivates them to come to work on time and put in their best in the time they have. Agreed that certain fields of work like advertising, media and law carry tight deadlines and hence require the employees to put in more than the stipulated work hours assigned by the company. But, this can be taken care off by offering compensation in the form of leaves or reimbursing their food and travel expenses during those long hours.
- Arranging wellness programmes – In today’s world, people are crazy about fitness and health. And, in order to meet the demand for trainers, many have made a career out of crafting fitness activities for those in need. So, it’s not too uncommon to find wellness trainers who can come down to the office and conduct a few sessions for the employees. These can be just simple stretches that one can do from their seat, or something more rigorous like simple yoga session arranged in the premise itself. This will not only refresh them but help them achieve a positive outlook towards their task and hence reduce stress. You can also find ways to keep track of whether your employees are following up on these exercises.
- Organise stress-busting activities more frequently – Away day office activities are a good time for employees to get into the right spirit and take their mind off work. But why wait for a day away from the office when you can organise smaller events at more frequent intervals and give your employees the break they deserve. It can be something as small as celebrating an employee’s birthday with a cake, or organising a walking meeting. You can also make it productive by arranging for speakers to share their stories and motive your employees. This gives your employees’ a well-deserved recharge.
- Reward your employees – Reward system is one of the best-known motivational techniques. It gives people the incentive to work harder because they know their efforts are being recognised. These rewards can be in the form of bonus, incentives and even just acknowledging their efforts in front of their peers and seniors. If an employee feels valued and secure in their position, they will not feel the need to stress over work.
- Hire efficient managers – As important as it is to hire a good workforce, it is equally important to hire the right managers to handle the workforce. Managers are responsible for assigning tasks to their team, ensuring the work gets done on time and presenting it to the superiors. They ensure that communication is seamless between the different departments and also between members of the same team at different designations. If an efficient manager is able to sort their team out, then employees have no reason to be stressed. Work gets done and the results are there for everybody to see.
- Be generous with holidays– If your employees get to take sufficient time-out when they need it the most, they will be at their productive best when they are at work. Make sure you assign fixed leaves for every employee and make sure to be generous with them. Workers in UK are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday per year.
Build a lucrative work environment for your employees and you will do your bit to reduce their stress and help them stay productive.
