Strategies for organizations and managers to support employee wellbeing

April is Stress Awareness Month. We all experience stressors – last minute requests, computer problems, conflicts in our family or team, etc. Feeling stressed is our bodies’ way to helping us cope with increased demands. Stress responses can be helpful to our focus in the short-term.

But as we discussed in our conversation with our friends at Unmind last year, when stress overwhelms our coping mechanisms, our wellbeing suffers.

And so does our productivity.

The workplace is often a top contributor to stress, and we know it is important that employees know that their company cares about their wellbeing. This year, 58% of people said they’d rather have a company that cares about their wellbeing than a 10% pay raise, and that is up 14% in just two years! To help you support yourself and your employees during Stress Awareness Month, here are some ideas the organization can use and managers can use individually to help employees cope and to let them know they care.

Organization-wide strategies

1. Stress management workshops

Offer workshops focused on stress management techniques, mindfulness and resilience-building strategies. Train managers on how to spot signs of burnout or extreme stress and provide guidelines of how we can help.

2. Interview leadership

Capture stories of leaders’ experiences with stress management and mental health and share them with employees to create safety and space to discuss the impacts of stress.

3. Resource accessibility

Ensure that resources related to stress management, such as EAP services, wellbeing stipends and wellbeing apps, are highlighted and easily accessible to employees and to managers.

4. Policy review

Review company policies on workload, deadlines, and work-life balance to ensure they promote a healthy working environment. Is it time to promote a meeting-free Friday? Or even a meeting-free Wednesday afternoon?

5. Stress relief activities

Organize monthly activities like yoga classes, meditation sessions or nature walks that provide employees with healthy outlets for stress relief.

6. Run a wellbeing challenge

While our clients love a good step challenge, you could also run a mindfulness challenge in April to get people taking a moment to focus and breath during their day.

Manager-specific strategies

1. Open conversations

In April (and then all year long) initiate open conversations about stress within your team. Find out which tasks or processes create the most stress for the team and discuss strategies to cope with or to remove those stressors.

2. Workload assessment

Assess team workloads to ensure they are manageable and provide support to those who may be feeling overwhelmed.

3. Promote breaks

Try a meeting-free Friday or put 30 minutes once a week for the team to individually use for wellbeing activities. Provide ideas for the time such as going for a walk, reading, working out, or meal planning.

4. Encourage time off

Communicate on the importance of utilizing vacation days and personal time to help employees disconnect and recharge. Remind employees to reduce the notifications they get during their personal time to ensure they get a true break.

5. Recognize signs of stress

Train managers to recognize the signs of stress in team members and equip them with tools to offer support or resources.

6. Celebrate achievements

69% of employees say being thanked more would improve their workplace wellbeing. Set aside time in regular meetings to acknowledge and celebrate individual and team accomplishments to foster a positive work environment and enhance morale.

For more ideas for celebrating and supporting your employees all year long, check out our HR Calendar. And remember that by adopting stress management strategies, companies can create a culture of wellbeing that will make your company a great place to work – and a more productive place to work, as well.