Tackling rising stress levels in the workplace

To mark Stress Awareness Month, Cheryl Lythgoe, Matron at not-for-profit healthcare provider, Benenden Health, explains why it is important for employers to stem the increasing rates of workplace stress, how to spot the warning signs, and how to support their staff

 

Every April since 1992, Stress Awareness Month has worked to increase understanding of the causes of and cures for this modern epidemic.

 

Coronavirus exacerbated what was already a growing issue, boosting the number of people already in need of support, with UK levels rising steadily over the last 22 years.

 

The scale of the problem was illustrated by CIPHR’s research, in July last year. This found that the overwhelming majority of adults (79%) feel stressed at least once a month, with half (49%) on five or more days, while a third (30%) admitted to being prone to stress ten or more. One in 14 people (7%) said they are stressed every day.

 

While there are many causes, unsurprisingly, stress and the workplace aren’t strangers: the demands of delivering work on time and meeting customer expectations put employees under great pressure, while they contend with the money, health and work-life balance worries of post-pandemic life.

 

Additional challenges may include juggling the pressures of shift work and a rapidly changing and still disrupted supply and distribution landscape.

 

Work-related stress is a huge problem for employers and the UK economy. Estimates on the cost in lost output annually vary between £45bn (Deloitte) and £100bn (MIND) annually.

 

Health & Safety Executive (HSE) research last year showed that 822,000 British workers suffered work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new or longstanding) in 2020/21. It also reported that, in the 20 years before the pandemic, the rate of reported work-related stress had been increasing – and that, in 2020/21, this was higher than 2018/19’s pre-coronavirus levels.

 

The CIPHR’s studies revealed that a whopping one in four (23%) people are stressed by work in general. Meanwhile, our own extensive 2020 report on workplace mental health found that 58% of employees say their mental wellbeing had been negatively impacted by their job at some point.

 

Top causes for deteriorating psychological health are, increased workload (43%); salary concerns (33%); workplace culture (30%); job insecurity (30%); bullying (28%); hitting deadlines (20%); and managing people (19%)

This can make employees feel hopeless, lose confidence, underperform and even become angry with colleagues.

 

However, our research also revealed that, for large numbers of staff, stigma still prevents them from telling their boss about their struggles. While a quarter (28%) did say that they’re happy to have these discussions, this is much lower than the 46% who felt confident to do so in our 2017 survey.

 

The conversation is also stifled because many business leaders grapple with what to do or say to support their people. Primary causes of unease about discussing mental health issues with employees are, worrying about saying the wrong thing (40%); feeling uncomfortable talking about emotions (34%); concern about the legal implications (34%); considering it inappropriate (27%); and not thinking it important (7%).

 

Nevertheless, it’s vital that you can identify and reduce your people’s stress at work. This is even more important when working remotely.

 

How to spot employees suffering from workplace stress

Everyone shows signs of stress in their own way, but with many now working remotely, it can be harder to identify typical pointers, which may be physical in nature.

 

One tell-tale indicator is working longer hours. When more home-based, the line between domestic life and work can become blurred and with stress often negatively impacting on productivity, employees may be working longer hours to keep up, or even over the weekends, exacerbating the situation.

 

Sudden changes in behaviour can be another tell. If your team holds regular video conference meetings, take note of those who are quieter, seem distracted or are uncharacteristically restless.

 

The best and simplest way of identifying workplace stress while hybrid working, however, is to check in regularly with colleagues individually. With potentially less visibility between employers and employees as businesses work more flexibly across many locations, making time for individuals to share concerns or stresses is vitally important, so issues can be addressed before they have a significant impact on personal wellbeing and productivity.

 

How to reduce employee stress in the workplace

Four simple actions can help reduce staff stress in their daily working lives.

1. Offer support– while supporting workers internally is great, the capacity and expertise within businesses may not be enough to successfully address all employees’ needs. There are many specialist organisations you can turn to that provide the support and advice your employees need. When looking for a provider of this service, you might want to consider whether they offer 24/7 telephone support as this can be of real benefit to employees, especially those who would feel more comfortable raising personal issues anonymously than discussing with their manager or colleagues.
2. Encourage flexible working– recognising the importance of your employees’ work life balance is vital in allowing them to mentally and physically switch off, especially as businesses start to navigate how hybrid working might work long term. Giving staff the opportunity to be flexible with their hours can make a huge difference to their wellbeing and reduce the threat of stress, especially for those with caring commitments.
3. Respect your employees’ personal time– it is important to recognise your employees need time away from work, especially as many are working in their own homes for at least part of the week. Encouraging staff to take time away from their workspace for lunch, daily exercise or to switch off from work at the end of the working day – literally and mentally – can benefit mental wellbeing hugely. This can also remove any perceived expectation that employees should be working outside of typical office hours.
4. Encourage movement– as well as being great for physical health, movement has also been shown to reduce stress, increase alertness and concentration as well as generate a higher level of cognitive function. Inspire your employees to be as active as possible, with team sessions a great idea to keep fit, healthy, and connected if working remotely – ensuring that any activities can be completed by the entire team. If lunchtime workouts aren’t right for your workplace, consider encouraging walking meetings so your employees can spend some of their working day moving.

After a challenging few years for everybody, it’s more important than ever for bosses to monitor the behaviour and wellbeing of their people.

 

While businesses may continue to face significant challenges, even small steps can keep teams healthy, happy and productive. By investing in these now, bosses can put themselves in a strong position as life and business slowly return to something like normality.

 

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Benenden Health is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1905 and based in York since 1990. It is one of the UK’s longest serving and most respected mutual healthcare societies. The Society has over 820,000 members - including 45,000 who have membership as part of an employee benefits package - and provides a range of discretionary healthcare services open to all.

 

Benenden Health’s most recent National Health Report covers the health and wellbeing in the workplace and can be found at www.benenden.co.uk/media/7707/national-health-and-wellbeing-at-work-report.pdf

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com