How HRs Can Address Employee Stress

Although payroll is a function that HR needs to perform, it can never be discounted that people relations is what puts the “human” in Human Resources. Ensuring employee well being is among the top things that HRs need to be focused on. This is especially important during times of stress, when your employees may be feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with their workloads. April is Stress Awareness Month and we want to empower HRs on their crucial role in helping employees manage stress.

Stress can have a significant impact on an employee’s wellbeing as well as work performance. However, there are several steps HR can take to mitigate stress in the workplace and support employees in managing their stress levels.

Stress rear its head suddenly at any moment. It can also be an aggregate or small things that snowballs into a big avalanche of anxiety. It’s important to address stress both in the short term and the long term. Here are some short term solutions for employee stress.

Encourage Employees to Take Breaks

Encourage employees to take short breaks throughout the day to recharge. This can include taking a quick walk, practicing deep breathing exercises, or simply stepping away from the computer for a few minutes. While regulations permit 15 minute breaks twice a day, adding a few more minutes might make a big impact on your employees’ mental health.

Provide Stress-Relieving Activities

Provide stress-relieving activities, such as yoga classes or meditation sessions, during lunch breaks or after work hours. This can help employees relax. It may also help them cope, understand, and manage their stress and their stressors.

Encourage Group Activities

Encourage employees to build relationships by organizing casual team-building activities, such as group lunches or happy hours. This can help employees feel more connected. Making friends in the office can help in letting off steam.

While short term solutions can be helpful, long term programs help employees feel that the workplace has a system in place to help them cope with stress. Here are some long term solutions to help employees manage stress.

Promote Work-Life Balance & a Positive Work Environment

Encourage your employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This should be a holistic approach that can be achieved by implementing policies that allow for flexible work schedules, remote work options, proper compensation, enough time off, and even just having policies that protect vacationing employees from having work creep up on them. 

Policies that promote work-life balance also promote a positive work environment. To emphasize a positive work environment, the company needs to operate with a culture that recognizes and rewards employee achievements, promotes teamwork and collaboration, and encourages open communication between employees and managers.

Provide Mental Health Resources

It’s no longer enough for companies to only provide HMO, they also have to provide mental health support. HR can provide resources and support for employees dealing with mental health issues, such as access to counseling services, employee assistance programs, and mental health resources. It’s important to create a culture where employees feel comfortable seeking help when they need it.

Self-Care Programs

Encourage employees and  managers to practice self-care by taking breaks throughout the day, exercising regularly, and practicing mindfulness or meditation. HR can provide resources, support, and programs to help employees prioritize their wellbeing.

Offer Training and Development Opportunities

Providing employees with opportunities for training and development can help them feel more confident and capable in their roles. This can reduce stress levels, increase job satisfaction, and mitigate work insecurity.

Provide Coaching and Support

HR can provide coaching and support to managers to help them manage employees going through stressful situations. Through coaching, HRs can also help managers properly manage their workload and prioritize tasks effectively to help managers prevent burnout.

HRs need to manage stress, Too

By taking these steps, HR can help create a healthier, more supportive workplace for employees and managers. However, HRs themselves also need to destress. HRs and other administrative staff also must be free to enjoy stress relieving privileges.

While you can’t take the stress away from work, you can certainly take the edge off it.  Among the most stressful things that HRs are burdened with is payroll. Some HRs stress over payroll for days, or even weeks, just to go through the whole payroll process all over again. To help manage stress, HRs should be able to process payroll, payslips, and government forms more easily with the help of reliable systems. Enjoy stress-free payroll processing; try Salarium for free today.