Stress is everywhere, and we’ve never been more tuned into its effects since going through a global pandemic. Based on a survey from the American Institute of Stress, 80% of workers feel stress on the job. Job stress tends to rank as a higher stressor than the economy, family responsibilities, and even personal health concerns.
Nearly half say they need help learning to manage stress, and 42% say their coworkers could also benefit from assistance.
Employee burnout has become such a hot topic that in 2019, the World Health Organization declared burnout as an occupational phenomenon in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases.
Here are some ways to help employees cope with stress and prevent on-the-job burnout.
Encourage employees to use PTO
Company morale decreases substantially when employees are stressed out. Encouraging everyone to take a mental health day every once in a while, can help. And knowing their manager supports their decision, it might help their apprehension over asking for time off and any fear they have about not being looked at as a team player.
Make well-being a priority in your company culture
Making well-being a priority in your company culture and providing resources for employees to live healthier lives helps them take better care of themselves.
When well-being is embedded into workplace culture, employees encourage one another to live a healthy, meaningful, and more productive work life. They support each other in pursuing their ideal work-life balance — whether that means working reasonable hours, taking advantage of a flexible work environment, or enjoying their vacation time — and they collectively model making healthy choices.
Encourage exercise with micromobility options
Exercise gives us the benefit of added energy, allowing us to exert ourselves more physically. But, it also means more energy for the brain, boosting mental output. Biking is an excellent way to incorporate fun and fitness into your daily routine.
Health guidelines recommend about two hours of moderate activity each week to combat stress, so biking a 25–to-30-minute commute a few times a week will help employees hit this goal.
Biking also helps lower blood pressure and boost energy. Outdoor exercise also improves your mood by releasing endorphins and stimulating neurotransmitters, the signals that control emotional response.
Introduce workplace yoga
Yoga doesn’t just benefit the physical health of your employees; it also helps your workplace in many ways. It improves energy levels, boosts concentration, reduces stress, and increases creativity making your employees more productive in their work.
Many companies now recognize the power of yoga. They are starting to offer yoga classes as part of their corporate wellness programs. Notable companies include Forbes, Apple, Google, Chase Manhattan Bank, HBO, and Nike, to name a few.
Support mental health with commuter benefits
The average American spends 250 hours a year commuting to work. That’s equal to 10 days just spent driving. Traffic jams, congestion, and the feeling that you’re wasting time on the road can impact stress levels.
Studies show that spending more than 20 minutes on a single commute can lead to chronic stress. This stress leads to increased levels of cortisol, which produces inflammatory chemicals and causes symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can also increase blood pressure and lead to fatigue and irritability.
To entice your employees to use public transportation, consider offering commuter benefits. These benefits allow employees to set aside money in their paychecks to pay for commuting costs. Those savings mean employees pay less in tax on those earnings.
Don’t just say it; Do it
Talking to employees about living healthier lifestyles isn’t enough to make real change. Managers must live a healthy lifestyle themselves – including finding a work-life balance- to promote it within the organization. This means managers must also ensure they allow time for exercise, family, and self-care.
Work-life balance can also be supported at a corporate level. For example, shut down early before the holidays to enforce a practice of valuing family time or offer flexible scheduling to accommodate individual schedules.
How Edenred can help
Schedule a meeting today to see how Edenred can help maximize your benefits and prevent employee burnout.
