Stress is one of the most imposing barriers to employee engagement in the modern workplace.

Fremont, CA: According to studies, stress costs US companies $300 billion each year, and the workplace has got recognized as the number one cause of stress for American workers.

Workload, job insecurity, and personnel issues pile up and overwhelm employees, lowering their satisfaction levels. The detrimental effects of stress are so severe that the World Health Organization has designated it a worldwide epidemic.

While many people have attempted to compile exhaustive lists of stress-alleviation techniques, current research has revealed that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Let’s see a few basic suggestions for reducing workplace stress, but make sure you personalize them with your staff. 

• Revamp the habitat

The environment causes a lot of stress. Consider every component of their workplace environment and what it contributes (or does not do) to the team's well-being. Simple factors such as the coffee quality or the cubicle walls' height can impact employee engagement.

Refresh the office with a new color scheme, more plants, or new cutlery. If you have the space, consider installing a ping pong rather foosball table to distract staff from their stress for a short minute. Any adjustments that boost employee satisfaction will make them feel less stressed.

• Allow for flexible hours and remote working

Users recruited their staff because businesses believe they can execute their duties properly and on time—now give them a chance to show it. The office should not feel like a prison but rather a location where users can get things done. Inform the staff that the quality and timeliness of their work, not when they punch the clock, define their employment.

Allow your staff to work remotely and provide flexible start and end timings. This freedom boosts office morale, and the policy demonstrates that users trust them enough not to babysit them. 

• Encourage social activity

Employees spend a significant amount of time together because the more at ease they are, the less stressed they will be. As employees get to know one another, expectations and communication barriers disappear, paving the way for smoother future encounters.

• Provide onsite or distance counseling

Many organizations have also begun to provide counseling as a tool for employees to cope with stress; according to recent research, over half of the workers felt they required assistance in learning how to deal with the difficulties of their professions. This method may allow staff to prepare for stress, whether in or out of the office, in groups, or individually.