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Employee Wellness Month shines a light on the indispensable role of fostering a healthy workplace environment and the correlation to the overarching success of an organization, influencing factors such as productivity, innovation, efficiency, and profitability.
Read below to learn how to identify workplace stressors, examine their impacts on your business, and introduce effective stress-reduction strategies to create a healthy and thriving organization.
Workplace stress is the mental, emotional, and physical strain caused by adverse work conditions. It varies from overwhelming workloads to poor work-life balance. Recognizing these stressors is vital, as their impact spans both the mental and physical health of employees. “As our concept of workplaces continues to evolve, we better understand that the workplace has a profound impact on the mental health of employees. By proactively protecting employee psychological well-being, research shows organizations drive better performance outcomes and decreases business risks, including quality and customer retention,” said workplace culture and resiliency expert Dr. Allesandria Polizzi, CEO/founder of Verdant Consulting.
Psychologically healthy workplaces have shown a 30% improvement in employee productivity (Anjum 2018).
Some common workplace stressors include:
Poor Leadership: Inadequate leadership, such as micromanagement, undermines autonomy and can significantly stress employees. This control can limit employees' ability to make decisions, innovate, and feel valued in their roles, increasing anxiety and decreasing productivity.
Ambiguous Job Roles: Unclear job responsibilities can lead to stress from uncertainty and overextension. An employee expected to perform duties beyond their official role without clarity or support, like a project manager handling IT issues, may face frustration and a sense of inadequacy, impacting overall job performance.
Excessive Workload: Continuous pressure to meet high demands or tight deadlines can accelerate the risk of burnout. Employees struggling to keep up with an excessive workload may experience chronic stress, physical exhaustion, and a decline in mental health. The inability to disconnect and the expectation to always be available exacerbate these feelings, compromising work-life balance and overall well-being.
Fear of Speaking Up: A culture that doesn't encourage open communication or penalizes dissent creates an environment where employees are afraid to voice concerns, offer feedback, or report issues. This fear can prevent the early resolution of conflicts, worsen workplace dynamics, and contribute to a stressful environment by making employees feel isolated and powerless.
Having a psychologically safe workplace, where everyone feels empowered to express their ideas and concerns without fear of retribution, is crucial for mitigating these stressors. Promoting an open and supportive environment can help in addressing and resolving sources of stress, fostering a culture of respect and well-being among employees.
Equally important is addressing common issues in workplace processes, as shown above, that are as influential on the mental health of your workforce. Dr. Polizzi mentioned, “When employees feel safe to speak up, the difference in business performance can be profound. Frontline workers are often the first to see issues in safety, customer satisfaction, and other costs to a business. When employees keep silent, the business suffers.”
The repercussions of unmanaged workplace stress on a business often include decreased productivity, increased employee turnover, and higher health-related expenditures. These consequences underscore the critical necessity for stress management strategies to sustain business health and competitiveness.
Decreased Productivity: Chronic stress can impair an employee's ability to concentrate, make decisions, and engage creatively with their work, leading to reduced output and quality.
For example, a software development team facing continuous tight deadlines without adequate support or breaks may start producing code with more errors, needing extra time for corrections and significantly delaying product launches.
Psychological safety has been shown to improve error identification by 10X (Jin 2022).
Increased Employee Turnover: High stress levels often result in job dissatisfaction, leading employees to seek employment elsewhere. This turnover not only incurs costs related to recruiting and training new employees but also disrupts team dynamics and continuity.
Employees in unhealthy workplaces have a 45% higher intention of leaving (Bentley 2021).
The advantages of proactive employee wellness initiatives extend beyond health benefits. These initiatives lead to improved employee engagement, reduced absenteeism, and a stronger company reputation.
Research has shown that psychological safety increases employee engagement by 43% (Maximo 2019).
Encouraging Work-Life Balance: Leaders can model good behaviors by actively demonstrating work-life balance, encouraging employees to disconnect after work hours and respecting their time off. This sets a precedent in the organization that while work is important, health and personal time are equally valued.
Clarifying Job Roles and Expectations: Regular one-on-one meetings to discuss and align on job responsibilities and expectations can prevent misunderstandings and reduce stress related to job performance and duties.
Implementing Flexible Work Policies: A flexible work policy might allow employees to choose their work hours or work from home certain days of the week. This not only supports work-life balance but can also reduce commute-related stress and make it easier for employees to manage personal commitments alongside work.
Starting and Ending Meetings with Check-Ins: Incorporating brief check-ins at the beginning and end of meetings can help foster a sense of community and provide a space for employees to voice concerns or share personal wins, promoting emotional well-being.
Dr. Polizzi commented, “We often think that workplace stress is addressed through interpersonal means, but simple changes, like role clarity, can make a world of difference in protecting the psychological health of the workforce.”
Providing Mental Health Days: Allowing employees designated days off for mental health without requiring them to disclose the reason promotes an understanding that mental health is as important as physical health.
97% of employees prefer to work where their mental health is important (APA 2023).
Establishing Mental Health First Aid: Training select staff members in mental health first aid provides a resource for employees who may need immediate support or guidance on seeking help. This training equips the first aiders with the skills to recognize signs of mental health issues and support the individual to seek professional treatment.
Modeling Good Behaviors Through Leadership: Leaders should openly discuss the importance of mental health, share their own strategies for managing stress, and actively participate in wellness programs. Their engagement in such behaviors models the prioritization of mental health and wellness within the organization.
Implementing these strategies requires commitment from all levels of the organization, especially from leadership, to create an environment where stress is managed effectively and wellness is prioritized. By incorporating such measures, businesses can foster a healthier, more productive work environment.
Define Work Hours: Clearly communicate expected work hours and discourage after-hours work to help maintain a healthy work-life balance.
No-Email Policy After Hours: Implement policies that discourage sending emails outside of normal working hours to reduce pressure on employees to be always available.
Encourage Time Off: Actively encourage employees to take their allotted vacation days. Support an environment where employees feel comfortable taking time off without the expectation to check in or complete work.
Remote Work Opportunities: Allow employees the option to work remotely, catering to different lifestyle needs and preferences. A recent HRCI poll of HR practitioners showed that flexible work options are the number one priority of job candidates outside of financial incentives.
Flex-Time Options: Introduce flexible working hours that allow employees to start and end their day as they choose, within certain limits.
Clarity of Expectations: Develop clear policies that outline job expectations, work processes, and performance metrics to minimize stress from uncertainty.
Meeting Efficiency: Establish guidelines for running more effective and shorter meetings, ensuring they are necessary and have a clear agenda, as well as leaving time for the informal interpersonal connections that are critical for establishing trust.
By incorporating some of these practices, organizations can develop a work environment that supports employee wellness and encourages productivity and job satisfaction in a sustainable manner.
To accurately assess program success and enhance effectiveness, it is crucial to monitor participation levels and gather feedback from participants. The ISO 45003:2021 standard plays a pivotal role in this process by offering organizations a foundation for managing psychosocial risk. It enables organizations to prevent work-related injury and ill health of the employees and to promote wellness at work.
Dr. Polizzi said, “Using guidelines like the ISO 45003 can move worker mental health from concept to action by providing globally identified causes of higher stress and lowered well-being.” Insights gained from this data will help guide any adjustments needed to ensure the programs remain valuable and genuinely contribute to employee satisfaction.
Operationalizing employee wellness requires a cohesive strategy, leadership engagement, comprehensive programming, and an adaptable approach. By committing to these steps, organizations can create a supportive and healthy workplace environment that enhances well-being, boosts morale, and increases overall productivity.
If your organization is already prioritizing employee wellness and is interested in showcasing its dedication to workplace culture, consider seeking an HRSI Workplace Wellness Organizational Certification. Benefits include attracting and retaining top talent, standing out among competitors, validating your commitment to employee wellness, and more.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of an HRSI Organization Certification, contact us to get started.