When it comes to being a good business leader and boss, there are more than just profits to keep in mind. Taking care of your employees is equally important as they are literally the backbone of your company. If you are noticing that employees are coming into work unmotivated and simply stressed out, you might have a serious problem on your hands. An overabundance of stressed-out employees is neither a good sign nor a good image for your company. Here are a few ways you can begin reducing the amount of stress being experienced by your employees.
Breaks
Although most states require employers to provide their employees with a certain amount of time for breaks, it is often not enough. Thirty minutes to eat and relax is not nearly enough. Therefore, employees come back even more stressed, tired, and irritated than before they went on break. Breaks can help your employees process information better, and thus help them be more productive. Therefore, added or longer duration breaks should be added to their daily routine.
Time Off
Too many employers believe that time is money, and to a certain extent, it is. However, overworking or stretching out the times an employee can take some time off may be hurting your company more than helping it. Thus, it is highly recommended to offer a more lenient time off policy for your employees. This may involve offering a few days off between vacation time in order to elevate normal stress that occurs throughout the year. Maybe some personal paid time off that can be earned by accrued hours clocked in.
Increase Efficiency
Even if your employees care and genuinely care about their career, an overwhelming number of tasks can bring down anyone. If you are noticing that employees are not only turning in sub-par work but also avoiding coming on a project, then you might have an issue with your task management style. In order to provide your employees with a better working environment, you should first begin to listen to their concerns. You may be surprised about what you hear from them as well as what you learn.
Work-From-Home Opportunities
One of the most popular trends going on right now within the business industry is working from home. Employers are quickly realizing that not only are they saving on office space, but their employees are much more motivated and even provide better quality work. Although you don’t have to send all your employees to work from home, you can implement certain days in which your employees can choose to work from home. This is an excellent incentive for employees who have children or other people who they need to take care of from time to time.
Recognition
Lastly, a great way to begin to reduce stress in the workplace is to offer well-deserved recognition. Employees are much more likely to offer their best to a company when they feel like they are being noticed and thanked. In fact, recent studies have stated that publicly recognizing an employee for their hard work provides much better results than simply giving them a bonus. Some of the best ways to provide recognition are through your company’s social media page, email alerts, or even placing their picture up where everyone can see.
Stress in the workplace can be a very dangerous thing for not only your revenue but your employee’s overall mental and physical health. Understandably, fixing this type of issue is easier said than done, but certainly not impossible. Thus, it is paramount that you begin to implement the tips listed above as soon as possible.
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