A huge amount of awareness is being raised around stress in the workplace. This is great, but what next? How can we help employers and HR managers be proactive in reducing workplace stress?
In the 2018 Health and Wellbeing at Work report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), it states…….
“The HR profession has a pivotal role to play in steering the health and well-being agenda in organisations by ensuring that senior managers regard it as a priority, and that employee well-being practices are integrated in the organisation’s day-to-day operations.”
https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/health-and-well-being-at-work_tcm18-40863.pdf
The impact on your organisation
No matter how many employees you are responsible for, from time to time some will experience feelings of being overwhelmed, stress or anxiety. Whether it’s due to work-related pressures or home situations it’s likely to have a detrimental effect on their work and ultimately your organisation.
These feelings could lead to them becoming disengaged, resulting in a fall in the quality of their work and/or absenteeism. This situation would be detrimental for all concerned and as the HR Director, you will be called in to intervene. Your role here could be anything from disciplinary action to dismissal, followed by the inevitable time and expense of recruitment and training of new staff.
In 2016/17 The HSE found that 12.5 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety. In 2019/20 this number had increased to 17.9 million working days, with each person taking an average of 21.6 days off work due to stress, depression or anxiety.
A Successful HR Intervention
As head of HR, you will appreciate that employees’ wellbeing plays an integral part in the company’s success. You will no doubt have a preventative mindset and a strategic vision of a staff welfare programme that is aligned with the goals of your organisation. This allows you to be in a position to identify what your organisation can achieve from having a Workplace Wellness Programme and what outcomes are required. Is it a reduction in absenteeism, increased employee engagement, improved employee health and wellbeing or all three?
Armed with this information and the HSE stats you will be able to present a persuasive business case to senior management about the benefits of having a Workplace Wellbeing Programme.
What can a Workplace Wellbeing Programme Achieve?
Introducing a simple but effective Workplace Wellbeing Programme has been proven to have a positive effect on staff morale, loyalty and productivity resulting in: –
- low absenteeism,
- higher staff retention,
- increased productivity and
- highly motivated and engaged staff.
What does one look like?
Working with me a simple Workplace Wellness Programme could look like this….
- Onsite drop-in wellbeing workshop sessions of reiki and reflexology. Both these treatments are known for their ability to reduce feelings and symptoms of stress.
- Online group wellbeing workshops covering stress awareness and management, meditation, self-reflection and journaling. All are designed to promote and encourage personal wellbeing for long-term health and wellness.
One size does NOT fit all
Evidence shows us that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to workplace wellbeing is not cost-effective. Take a look at what I can offer your organisation.
Whether you’re a busy self-employed professional, a managing director or an HR manager, putting a system in place that focuses on workplace wellbeing is important and necessary to help reduce workplace stress and will benefit you, your employees and your organisation as it continues to grow.
Implementing a Programme
If you don’t have a Workplace Wellbeing Programme or you would like to include the services I offer as part of your current programme, get in touch for an informal no-obligation chat to see how I can help you create and implement a Workplace Wellbeing Programme that is in line with your organisation’s unique needs as well as the needs of your employees.
So that I can remain focused on your needs
I only work with a limited number of workplace clients at a time.
If you are an employee, please feel free to pass this information on to the person responsible for staff welfare.
About Sharon
Sharon lives with her partner Geoff in Warwickshire and they have two adult children. She worked for over 25 years in an office environment, gaining qualifications to degree level in finance, business and management. While there Sharon witnessed and experienced many stressful situations and suffered stress-related illnesses.
Sharon was advised to make some changes to her lifestyle which included trying complementary therapies. After experiencing the benefits of complementary treatments, Sharon decided to re-train and share her knowledge and experiences to help others recognise and manage their own feelings of overwhelm and their physical, mental and emotional stress and anxiety levels.
Sharon has been working as a complementary therapist for over 15 years now and has helped many people to manage and reduce their stress levels; to feel uplifted, focused, positive and empowered about their own lives.
