How to support your employees through rising levels of workplace stress

Researchers find that ‘moderate to high’ workplace stress levels have risen by 13% since 2022. What can employers do to help their employees during this time?

A little bit of workplace stress is something that almost everyone has to deal with at some point in their career. Whether there are tight deadlines, unexpected changes to a workload, or conflict issues that need to be resolved, many people have navigated stressful periods at work in their time.

However, there’s a big difference between occasional moments of stress at work and feeling stressed all the time. Unfortunately, it appears as though the latter is becoming more and more typical in workplaces across the UK at the moment, with research citing significant increases in workplace stress over the last year.

In this article, we explore the current state of stress at work in the UK and discuss how employers can best support their employees and avoid contributing to the problem.

Is 2023 the year of workplace stress?

The Workplace Health Report: 2023 is produced by Champion Health and discusses the different factors impacting employee health every year. In their most recent report, the organisation highlighted that ‘moderate to high’ workplace stress levels have risen by 13% since 2022, which is a dramatic increase in only 12 months.

This rise in reports of feeling stressed at work shows that 76% of employees across a range of industries are experiencing high levels of worry and tension connected to their jobs. The actual cause of this stress is unspecified, but it’s likely that the current social and economic climate in the UK at the moment has been a contributing factor.

76% of employees across a range of industries are experiencing high levels of worry and tension connected to their jobs

Along with this report by Champion Health, the Office for National Statistics has revealed that we’re also seeing record numbers of people taking time off work due to long-term sickness. Mental health conditions are a significant contributor to this group being unable to work, particularly in young people.

Whilst there has been a positive increase in awareness and openness about the impact of mental health conditions over the past decade, it’s still a topic that many people find difficult to discuss. Stigma is still attached to conditions like depression and anxiety, which can both make dealing with workplace stress a lot harder, and this stops many people from feeling like they can talk about the challenges they’re facing.

A survey of 6000 UK-based employees by MHR found that 47% of people would not feel comfortable discussing mental health issues at work, demonstrating that there is a barrier preventing employees from seeking help when they’re feeling stressed, anxious or depressed.

Whether this is due to stigma, fear of different treatment or a lack of workplace support systems, there’s clearly more that employers could do to help their staff manage their mental health at work.

Expect insight on creating a more inclusive working environment

In response to the worrying figures indicating a sharp increase in workplace stress, Fiona Robinson, HR Manager at Virtual College by Netex, advised that “Employers and HR advisors should take this data as a warning and ensure that their workforce’s mental wellbeing is being prioritised sooner rather than later.”

Regarding the fact that just under half of employees don’t feel that they can discuss their mental health at work, Fiona also shared that “It seems that this issue is twofold: not only is the mental health of the UK workforce suffering, but employees don’t feel that they’re able to express, or address, their mental wellbeing in the workplace.

“Unless both of these are tackled together, we can only expect that this trend continues on a downward trajectory, negatively impacting both individual employees and workplaces as a whole”.

Virtual College by Netex is a specialist online training provider that offers companies courses and resources on a wide range of topics, including mental wellbeing.

Below are some of the top tips that Fiona shared for employers and HR Managers to help tackle workplace stress and create a more inclusive working environment.

What can employers do to tackle workplace stress?

“Feedback is crucial in any workplace environment to determine the satisfaction of your team. And whilst many companies may gain feedback from their team about overarching business goals or operations, gaining feedback about individual team members’ mental wellbeing is another equally important factor to monitor”.

Monitor employee wellbeing

The best way to ensure that stress levels at work aren’t becoming unmanageable, and that company culture isn’t impacting employee mental health, is to constantly monitor your workforce’s wellbeing. This will help to give you a good idea of the challenges faced by your team and highlight any areas that need particular attention.

It will also create a system whereby changes in stress levels at work are identified early, which means support and intervention can be given before things really escalate.

You can monitor employee wellbeing by asking for anonymous feedback and getting employees to fill out a quick survey every week or fortnight about how they’re feeling at work.

You could also speak to managers and team leaders about how they feel their teams are coping with work at the moment, as they may have more insight into their colleagues’ health and happiness due to their work together.

Create peer support systems

“It could be communicated to employees that they are able to assign meeting times monthly to discuss mental health with colleagues that they trust and feel comfortable with, should they wish.”

Having friends at work is often identified as a factor that improves the employee experience, and part of this is that it gives employees a support network to rely on when they’re feeling stressed or unhappy.

Employers and managers can help to facilitate their workplace relationships by setting up peer support systems that provide employees with peers they can speak to whenever they’re struggling at work.

Employees find it easier to be honest with their peers at work as opposed to colleagues that are ‘above’ them in the hierarchy

Having peer support systems can sometimes be a more effective solution to workplace stress management than asking team leaders and line managers to help their colleagues. This is because some employees find it easier to be honest with their peers at work as opposed to colleagues that are ‘above’ them in the hierarchy.

These systems can be set up informally or you can train employees to provide support to others and create an official program with designated team members that can offer help and advice when dealing with stress.

Train mental health first aiders

“Whilst this is a role that requires training, [mental health first aiders] can be a hugely beneficial initiative in which existing staff members can volunteer themselves to help support the wellbeing of their peers and identify potential mental health problems”.

All workplaces have a legal obligation to have at least one trained first aider on site at all times, but this only covers physical health issues, not mental health ones.

A mental health first aider is a specifically trained individual that knows how to support and listen to employees dealing with a range of mental health issues and can be a really valuable addition to a company trying to tackle workplace stress.

By training existing employees in mental health first aid and giving them the time and space to speak to other employees and gain insight into levels of stress within the organisation, you demonstrate a commitment to supporting employee mental health.

You also ensure that any employees supporting others have been given proper training and won’t end up burning out themselves by helping someone else.

Invest in wellbeing support

“Whether your team is back to working in the office, or is working from home, efforts need to be made to ensure that they are reminded of the importance of taking some time for themselves to rest and recuperate amidst the working day.

“Investing in services to support employee physical and mental wellbeing will undoubtedly have positive benefits also. Purchasing subscriptions, such as for activity classes or mental health apps, or gym memberships, are a great way to do this.”

Creating a workplace culture where stress is managed healthily and difficulties are openly talked about is just the first step. If you really want to make a difference in employee experience, you also need to actively invest in ways to help your staff maintain positive mental health and manage stress levels outside of work.

As Fiona said, some of the best ways to do this include offering employees a budget for health and wellbeing activities or providing counselling at work. Make sure to speak to employees for advice on what they think will actually help too, so that you’re not wasting budget on resources that won’t be used.

Also remember to keep leading by example and promote ways to maintain positive mental and physical health, especially with remote teams. Make sure that employee wellbeing is a clear part of your company culture and encourage senior staff in particular to embody this and encourage their teams to do the same.

Begin to assign time to talk about stress and mental health

“There is a range of simple ways in which employers and HR professionals can offer opportunities for employees to discuss their mental wellbeing and concerns, whether personal or professional, that may be contributing to increased stress and strain at work. This doesn’t require any additional resources or manpower.

“HR professionals would simply make themselves available during certain working hours where employees would be able to solely discuss health and wellbeing, and discuss solutions to any challenges they may be facing.”

If employees know that they can talk to their manager or member of the HR team about any challenges they’re facing, they’ll feel much more comfortable opening up. But to facilitate this, professionals need to carve out dedicated time to have these discussions and ensure that all employees know when their door is open.

This can be applied in both an office and virtual environment, the former of which employees could schedule a visit to the HR advisor’s office, and the latter for which an invitation can be sent for a virtual meeting.

It’s incredibly important to set aside time within working hours to have these conversations

It’s incredibly important to set aside time within working hours to have conversations about these topics and for employees to feel like they can share any struggles or concerns.

Without specified time focused on stress and mental health, employees that are already feeling overwhelmed are unlikely to speak up about the issues they’re facing.

It’s clear that we’re facing significant increases in workplace stress at the moment which is having a range of effects that includes increased employee absences.

Stress at work and employee mental health are undoubtedly linked, and employers need to find the best ways to manage both of these issues to ensure their teams feel supported and that their workplace culture helps to promote positive wellbeing and openness to talk about any issues employees are facing.

 

This piece was written and provided by Fiona Robinson, HR Manager at Virtual College by Netex.