Workplace challenges are increasing with every passing day. It is a global problem. Poor workplace conditions are not only detrimental to the health and well-being of the employee, but also affects the firm’s overall productivity. The professional landscape has become very dynamic and it is causing additional burden on the employees to adopt the new ways of working.
However, if you are unable to cope with the new challenges, or feel stressed about the same, employee assistance programs can help you. What is an Employee Wellness Program and what are its benefits are all covered in this post.
What Is Workplace Stress?
Workplace stress may arise when the work demands exceed to the person’s ability to accomplish the tasks. Employees find it difficult to cope with the variety and levels of the tasks and gradually develop the stress about the same. The situation worsens when the employee feel that they have little or no support from their colleagues or seniors.
In such a scenario, employees feel loss of control over the process, which also degrades their performance. Furthermore, it can affect several aspects of their job including motivation, learning, and health. In such a scenario, quick stress busters delivered through an employee assistance program can really help.
What Causes Workplace Stress?
There can be multiple factors that can promote work-related stress, such as:
- Long Hours: Some job roles need employees to work for the extended hours in order to accomplish the tasks within their timelines. Sitting long hours on workstation not only causes stress, but also hampers the health negatively.
- Tight Deadlines: Time-sensitive work in the office can put extra pressure on the employees. Completing a task in their given time while keeping the quality intact can sometimes become a hard nut to crack.
- Job Insecurity: If you think that your job is not secure, or you are unable to cope with the workplace challenges of the job role, you might feel distressed. In such a situation, you may end up losing your confidence at workplace.
- Conflicts With Colleagues: Conflicts with the colleagues whom you are working closely with, can make the workplace negative for you. You don’t feel good or motivated and these thoughts may persist even after the office hours.
- Monotonous Tasks: If you feel stuck with certain types of tasks and don’t find any opportunity to learn or grow, then it can also affect your mental state at work. Lack of productiveness can also be felt.
- Improper Working Environment: There are several things, such as unrealistic workload, poor communication, lack of recognition, and poor hygiene, which can be detrimental to your mental health.
What Are The Common Symptoms That Indicate Workplace-related Stress?
The signs related to workplace stress can be seen at physical, psychological, and behavioral levels. Some of the common symptoms are:
- Physical Symptoms: The physical signs related to office stress can be experienced in different forms. The list may include fatigue, headaches, muscular tension, heart palpitations, insomnia, and several others.
- Behavioral Symptoms: When it comes to behavioral symptoms, you may experience disinterest, isolation, excessive aggression, alleviated performance, reduced creativity, poor interpersonal skills, and several others.
- Psychological symptoms: The stress caused by workplace pressure can cause a wide range of psychological difficulties. Some common symptoms are depression, anxiety, irritability, hopelessness, discouragement, cognitive issues, or an overwhelming feeling about everything.
How can employee wellness programs help relieve stress at work?
Employee assistance programs play a vital role in alleviating stress in the workplace. They can help employees address the potential reasons that are promoting stress. Thus, they design training and assistance programs for the employees to manage their stress. Long, persistent stress at the workplace can simply be translated into reduced productivity. Therefore, employers also focus on these assistance programs. Below is how these programs work:
Addressing Known Issues In The First Place
Some issues are very apparent at the workplace, easy to identify. These issues are to be resolved in the first place. Even the simplest or most trivial things also need to be considered, if they are somehow causing stress to the employees. It also includes the healthier decision makings by the employees as well.
Assessing The Causes Behind The Stress
After identifying the common issues, EAP counsellors try to determine the multiple factors that potentially contribute to the stress at the workplace. After determining the causes, it becomes easier to override them, thereby establishing a stress-free work environment for the employees.
Training Programs For Employees
Employee training and assistance programs enable employers to prioritize the stress management programs as an integral part of their work environment. It may include some simple changes, such as offering flexible hours, promoting workday breaks, and several others. Besides, they also train employees with the proven and effective ways to promote work-life balance and overall mental wellness.
Enabling Access To The Stress Management Resources
A majority of the employees believe that their employers can take action to reduce stress and promote optimal well-being. Having support from the seniors, access to skill training, an open channel to communicate, and clarity regarding roles and responsibilities can play a significant role in reducing job insecurities and stress at the workplace.
Benefits Of Employee Management Programs At Workplace
Employee Assistance Program Counsellors are trained and experienced professionals who can effectively address and resolve persistent stress-causing situations. Their specialized techniques can help working professionals reap the numerable benefits of their well-thought-out programs, such as:
Increased Employee Retention
Stress management programs have a direct impact on the worker retention. People seek stability at the workplace, until something starts causing them stress, or starts interfering with their job roles. However, with a better employee assistance training, a healthier office culture can be established, offering greater flexibility and less micromanagement for the employees.
Enhanced Workplace Productivity
Employees with good mental health can work more efficiency at the workplace. Contrarily, employees with poor health can’t reach to their maximum potential at work, even if they are willing to give more. When the workplace challenges, such as lack of interest, dissociation, or job insecurities are addressed properly, workers can work with their optimal efficiency.
Decreased Absenteeism
Increased instances of the absenteeism can give a hard knock to productivity of the workplaces. However, employees with persistent stress and poor mental health tend to take more sick days. The cost of the missed day can be significant. It is possible to mitigate the instances of the absenteeism and missed work days with the employee assistance programs.
Reduced Cost of Healthcare
A well-thought-out mental wellness and stress reduction program can reduce the cost of healthcare to a great extent. By investing in a good employee assistance program, employers can reduce the number of sick days, ER visits, and medical costs when the employees are at risk of poor health; taking preventive measures at an early stage can also cut down healthcare costs to a great extent.
Final Note!
Employee Assistance Programs can effectively address the mental health challenges in the workplace, thereby preventing employee’s from being prone to poor mental health. Designing focused wellness programs and guiding workers can cut down the stress and let workers attain their maximum potential. If you want your employees to work with their utmost potential, you can reach out to the EAP counsellors and get an effective program designed to meet the specific needs of your firm.
Related Topic: What Is Corporate Wellness Program, And Its Importance?
