Cost-Effective Ways to Reduce Stress in the Workplace

Stress is widely considered a part of modern life. With the mounting pressure to balance your home and work life, it is beginning to play a more prominent part in everyday life. However, there are ways you can reduce the amount of stress employees feel in the workplace and there are benefits to your business for doing so.

Less-stressed staff are more productive and are also more likely to stay within your company for longer, reducing the amount of money you have to invest into recruitment. There are fairly simple ways that you can ensure people are as happy as possible in their role, and finding ways for them to de-stress.

Give them a platform

Having somewhere where staff can voice their concerns about their work or company can be an effective way of controlling and managing the amount of stress they feel in their role. This can be in the form of a regular meeting, having sections during their 1-2-1s where you discuss where improvements can be made, or a more informal Q&A session. No matter what your platform is, it's important that there is a culture that encourages people to be as transparent and open as possible without any fear of repercussions.

Encourage healthy habits

Supporting employees to have healthier habits is a great way of helping them be less stressed. From regular fruit deliveries, to exercise groups or a benefits scheme that is built around good health, there are plenty of different ways to encourage healthier habits among your workforce. This can be tailored to suit your workforce and the budget you have available, making it an effective solution for many companies.

Have debriefs

If you work closely together as a team, having a debrief at the end of each day can be a cleansing and cathartic period for each employee. You can structure this in whichever way works best for the particular project you're focusing on at the time and it can be a platform for people to air their grievances, but also put any negative points behind them before they go home for the evening.

Restrict out-of-hours communication

Only in very rare circumstances should employees be contacted during their free time, whether they are on annual leave or outside working hours. It's important that, as an employer, you draw a line between the office and home. This will help staff leave work matters in the office and not worry about it after they have checked out.