As a business owner, your employees are your most valuable asset. They are the people who come in each day, rain or shine, and help you to make your business a success. They keep everything running as it should and without them, you would not be able to operate.
Yet despite their absolute integral contribution to your organization, so many managers fail to give their employees the appreciation and respect they deserve. Mental health is one of the biggest issues for workers all over the world, which includes conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression. 79% of workers are experiencing moderate to high levels of stress as a result of their employment, and more than half of all sick leave is due to poor mental health.
You don’t want your employees to be struggling with your mental health, and you certainly don’t want it to be your fault. Not only will their quality of life and happiness suffer, but the associated sickness days and reduced productivity will also have an impact on your business too. So what can you do to protect their mental wellbeing? Read on to learn more.
Ask for feedback
The best way to identify a problem is to speak to the people involved. You may not perceive there to be an issue, but many people don’t feel comfortable talking about their mental health, particularly to their boss. Make an effort to show that you care, and ask for feedback about their work schedule and the way the business works. Make it clear that you are open to making changes in order to support their mental health. By showing your compassionate side, people will be more open with you, and you can start work on making important changes.
Promote good work-life balance
Although the business may be your life, for your employees it is most likely just a job. A way of paying the bills and putting food on the table. So you want to enable them to have a healthy balance of life and work. The way you empower them to have a good work-life balance will depend on your organisation. It might mean being strict about people not working late, or allowing for a hybrid working structure, where they can work from home a few days of the week. This will allow them to spend more time with their family, and manage their personal errands like grocery shopping, laundry, and childcare. This flexibility will reduce their stress levels and increase their happiness.
Offer coping strategies
Stress, to some degree, is an unavoidable part of life. Very few people, if any, are completely stress-free. What you can do is to offer ways of dealing with high stress and anxiety levels. This might mean enforcing breaks from work during the day or having social events to break the tension. You could even have office meditation sessions or hire a stress coach to speak to provide your team with some coping strategies.
These are just a few ways of dealing with stress in your team. The key is that you listen to employees and show that you are willing to make changes for the benefit of their mental health.