15 Ways Employers Can Address Workplace Stress and Mental Health Concerns
Workers are subject to many different stressors, and in recent years they’ve seen unprecedented levels of upheaval and insecurity. Job-related stress can exacerbate existing mental health issues, as well as negatively impact physical health, productivity, and job performance. Long-term stress causes burnout and may lead to increased turnover and absenteeism. The workplace, however, can be a central point for accessing mental health resources and support systems.
Understanding common stressors can help employers better spot their presence and take steps to address them. These can include:
- Job insecurity
- Changes or disruptions in workspace, schedule, technology, or workplace procedure
- Long shifts and lack of adequate breaks
- Physically demanding work
- Limited work-life balance and reduced boundaries between work and home
- Conflict among staff or confrontation by customers
- Fear of employer retaliation or management downplaying concerns
These stressors have a measurable toll for workers and employers. Over 80% of workers report experiencing workplace stress, and over 50% report that stress has negatively impacted their home life. Employers, however, are in an ideal position to develop and implement solutions to improve worker health and well-being. This benefits workplaces in many ways, even beyond improved worker happiness: the World Health Organization estimates that for every dollar spent by employers to treat mental health issues, improved health and productivity leads to a $4 return.
There are many ways employers can reduce workplace stressors, including:
Establishing a supportive and compassionate environment
1. Implement an open-door policy to discuss workplace concerns
2. Openly discuss the impact of workplace stress
3. Check in with employees regularly to see how you can support them
4. Build connections between coworkers by creating peer support networks, buddy systems for mutual support, and social activities
5. Make support information and access readily available
Looking for and addressing signs of workplace stress
6. Learn the different ways stress can manifest
7. to know employees so you can spot changes in their personality, behavior, and work quality
8. Hold regular group meetings to provide employees with a forum for concerns and questions
9. Offer additional support to struggling workers
10. For more serious mental health or substance abuse issues, consult your human resources department for guidance
Reducing stress in the workplace
11. Offer flexibility in working hours to better accommodate home and health situations
12. Evaluate leave and work-from-home policies for opportunities to better accommodate workers
13. Evaluate workload assignments for ways to prioritize and redistribute tasks
14. Consider new training and equipment to help employees adapt to work changes
15. Encourage workers to establish an offline time after which they won’t be reachable for the day
Resources are available to help employers and workers address stress and mental health issues:
