Wellbeing in the workplace influences health and productivity. Negative work environments, or stress caused by high demands and inadequate resources, can contribute to physical and mental health issues and even increased substance abuse.
Risk factors for poor mental health in the workplace include inadequate managerial support, poor workplace practices, and insufficient individual skills and competencies.
These mental health challenges not only cause individual suffering but also result in productivity losses. WHO estimates lost productivity due to mental health issues amounts to a whopping US$140 billion annually in the EU region alone1.
Interventions aimed at promoting and protecting mental health in the workplace can include raising awareness about mental health, informing employees about available support, involving them in decision-making processes, providing career development programs, and recognizing and rewarding work performance. However these actions rely on employees knowing they need help and being prepared to accept it. They also treat the symptoms and not the root causes of workplace stress - poor working practices.
Fix the workplace, not the individual
Leaders need to recognise their important role in creating healthy work environments, especially when it comes to fostering open communication, and providing necessary support.
By shifting focus from individual stress management to proactively addressing poor workplace practices, organisations can cultivate environments where employees thrive.
In the modern workplace, and especially when coupled with remote and hybrid working environments, stress can be common and is often undetected. From relentless deadlines to blurred work-life boundaries, navigating workplace stress has become an essential skill in today's professional landscape.
Common Workplace Stressors and Solutions
The three most common stressors in the workplace are the volume of work, the support received from the organisation and poor work/life balance. Here are some actionable strategies to mitigate the impact of problematic workplace practices.
Working Demands:
- Excessive Workload and Unrealistic Deadlines:
- Prioritise tasks and set clear expectations.
- Encourage open communication about workload.
- Regularly review and adjust priorities.
- Back-to-Back Meetings and Insufficient Breaks:
- Establish meeting-free blocks for focused work.
- Encourage regular breaks for mental rest.
- Promote a culture that respects personal time.
Working Relationships & Support:
- Lack of Managerial and Peer Support:
- Provide training for effective managerial support.
- Foster open communication and collaboration.
- Encourage peer support and team bonding.
- Limited Engagement with Leadership:
- Communicate company vision and goals regularly.
- Establish feedback channels and engage with employees.
- Demonstrate commitment to employee wellbeing.
- Isolation Within Silos and Cross-Team Collaboration Challenges:
- Promote cross-functional collaboration.
- Encourage use of collaboration tools.
- Foster a culture of inclusivity and mutual respect.
Work-Life Conflicts:
- Expectations of Availability Beyond Work Hours:
- Set clear boundaries and communicate expectations.
- Encourage employees to disconnect during off-hours.
- Lead by example in maintaining work-life balance.
- Disruptive Communications During Off-Hours:
- Establish guidelines for off-hour communication.
- Use asynchronous tools to reduce pressure for immediate responses.
- Respect employees' right to disconnect.
- Challenges in Using Annual Leave:
- Encourage employees to take allocated leave.
- Ensure adequate coverage and support during absences.
- Address practices hindering annual leave usage.
Prioritising employee wellbeing is a no brainer. It yields lower rates of absenteeism and turnover, and an enhanced reputation as an employer, and contributes to increased employee engagement and productivity.
How Pioneera can help
Our platform can provide customised actionable insights and recommendations tailored to you, your team and your workplace. We analyse data from conversations and other information you already have, and provide recommendations backed by science and years of research to address the root causes of workplace stress.
Contact us for more information.
1. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
