Four Ways to Reduce Employee Stress

There’s a reason why the workforce is hailed as a business’s most important asset; especially in times of economic uncertainty, the value employees can offer your business is your single most controllable variable.

It’s been show again and again that happy employees are more productive, are off sick less, and are more loyal to your company.

On the flipside, stressed-out employees increase the metrics you want as low as possible: turnover, absence rates, and presenteeism¹.

It’s easy to see why a happy workforce can be the difference between a business that sinks or swims during tough times. How can you reduce employee stress?

Why are your employees stressed?

There are many things that could be causing your employees stress, including:

• The cost-of-living crisis
• Global political instability
• Long-term illness and injury
• Financial troubles
• Personal situation, like family troubles and bereavement.

What’s important to keep in mind is that no matter what’s going on in your employees’ lives, it’s always possible to create a workplace environment more conducive to positive mental health.

Top tips to reduce employee stress

1. Signposting

Some research indicates that nearly 30% of employees aren’t aware of the benefits they have.² If your employees have access to benefits like cash plans and private medical insurance that can improve their quality of life, make sure you send out regular communications reminding them of how to access them.

2. Watch team dynamics

Employees may be stressed by people they encounter at work, but reluctant to speak to management for fear of rocking the boat. It’s therefore important you remain watchful of team dynamics, and ready to address untoward behaviour, so that everybody feels comfortable and safe.

3. Take switching off seriously

Work-life balance is incredibly important to your employees’ mental health, so make sure you enforce rules in aid of it, like no after-work emails or calls, and be sure to lead by example.

4. Recognition

Boosting worker satisfaction can be as simple as recognising their good work. After all, everyone wants to feel seen and appreciated for their efforts. According to Harvard Business Review, “Companies with high-recognition cultures perform better and have less turnover than those that don’t³.”

Caring for your workforce with insurance solutions from Towergate

At Towergate, we offer a number of insurance solutions that can help you to reduce workforce stress while boosting the key metrics your business cares about. Visit our website for more information.

Sources:

[1] Why Happy Employees Are Good for Business - business.com

[2] Battle of the benefits: When employees don't know what's available | the HR Director (thehrdirector.com)

[3] Making Work Less Stressful and More Engaging for Your Employees (hbr.org)

The information contained in this article is based on sources that we believe are reliable and should be understood as general information only. It is not intended to be taken as advice with respect to any specific or individual situation and cannot be relied upon as such.

About the author

Alison Wild BCom (Hons), FMAAT, MATT, Taxation Technician is a highly respected industry professional who has been working with and advising SMEs in areas including tax, pensions, insurance and marketing for over 25 years. She is a fellow member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and member of Association of Tax Technicians (ATT). She also has over 25 years' experience as a residential landlord.

This is a marketing article by Towergate Insurance. Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems we recommend that professional advice be sought.