Stress has become the environmental noise of modern work and life. Defined by the World Health Organization as a “state of anxiety or mental tension caused by difficult situations”, this is common, but its intensity, origin and our response to it may vary greatly. According to a new Gallup report, 41% of employees said they had experienced a lot of stress the day before, and work experience greatly fueled daily emotions. Even more disturbing is that 20% of people report loneliness, a number that has emerged among remote workers. The modern workplace is in a state of a mental health crisis. But why does work bring us to such a breakthrough point? Which industries are the worst criminals? Actually, what can employers do?
Pressure cooker: Why is the working pressure getting worse and worse
Unrealistic expectations of leadership and lack of meaningful mental health support are the most common culprits. An overwhelming workload, coupled with unachievable goals, captures employees in a long cycle and constant stress. Without strong management support, stress not only ignites, but also explodes, leading to burnout and serious health problems. Failure to identify and respond to employee levels can have a surprising impact on the business and its ability to deliver results. For example, research by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine I’ve estimated this recently Burnout makes US companies up to $21,000 per employee This is caused by loss of productivity and employee turnover every year. The same study estimates that burnout costs almost three times the average cost of health insurance and 17 times the cost of training per employee. Taking care of the well-being of employees is not only a care obligation of the employer; as a business, this should also be a financial obligation.
Some departments feel more stressed than others. Research findings on analyzing health and safety data List of stress-related diseases in human health and social work. With close connections between public defense and education, law and finance occupy the top five – long, client needs and hyper-competitive environments are actually built into the job description.
Employers can (must)
In all departments and job roles, employers need to recognize the unique pressures their industry can put on employees and provide targeted support to actively benefit the mental health of the workplace and keep in mind that one scale is not the right fit for all. The nature of the stress between the industry and employers needs to be aware of this in the subtle support they provide to their employees. In finance, for example, some of the biggest tightening points of pressure may be the end of the fiscal year, the overload of work, and the deadline for the perception of competing with colleagues. For example, in health care, the stress around excessive workload and lack of resources can remain the same, but can further expose the patient’s emotional and/or traumatic experience.
So where are employers, how and how to start their own journey – how do they make sure that efforts are customizing their industry and its unique challenges? The first step to solving the problem is to admit that you have a problem. Employers must first listen to what the employees are thinking and feeling. To do this, they need to open up communication channels: anonymous surveys, regular manager check-in and honest conversations about stress points are crucial starting points.
Leadership must set the tone by promoting a true work-life balance, encouraging flexible schedules, and setting reasonable workload expectations. It’s not about providing mental health benefits, but about building a culture that is not stigmatized and ensuring that the support provided really changes the lives of employees.
Too many companies are afraid of “wrinkling” and are very happy to talk extensively about the well-being of staff and provide superficial privileges here. Nevertheless, they are still afraid to put words into practice when providing real, concrete support or tangible conversations. This performance behavior is helpless. Only in a business that creates an understanding culture, where real structural changes, listening and respecting employees, can help create points of difference for your organization and work to truly support the mental health of employees. Leaders have the opportunity and responsibility to lead these conversations and promote a positive work-life balance, which is extracted from the top of the business to encourage employees to follow their leadership.
Another must-have is strength Employee Assistance Program (EAP) This provides confidential consultation and clear avenues for employees seeking help. Managers should have the ability to point their teams to these resources and develop a workplace where seeking support is seen as an advantage rather than a weakness.
Keep working hard
Critical moments like Stress Awareness Month provide natural opportunities to focus on mental health through events, panels or practical workshops. But real support is not only an annual exercise, but also a daily exercise.
As nearly half of employees are under stress at work, employers must step in to support their employees’ mental health, understand their workload and help cope with stress levels. Without this, businesses risk their employees to reach a tightening point of burnout, which could lead to extreme problems with the broader employee mental health. Investing in employee well-being and stress-responding levels not only benefits your employees, but also improves talent retention and is able to deliver business results across a wider organization. You can build the most powerful business, both internally and externally.
Zoe Sinclair is a workplace welfare expert and founder of a mental health consulting firm, and the meeting may happen.
