Stress v’s Pressure

Recently I have been involved in some very challenging situations, including a difficult coaching conversation,  a major restructuring exercise and a very serious disciplinary issue. All involved a level of employee stress. At some point or another, all of us will have experienced stress in the workplace, whether due to a tight deadline, an unusually heavy workload or dealing with difficult people.

Not all pressure leads to stress, and in undertaking my own research, it is clear that the majority of people feel that they are more productive when busy, and that a few nerves can aid motivation and high performance. Indeed it seems that insufficient pressure can lead to under stimulation and boredom.

Pressure is a fact of life but the way we deal with it is of ultimate importance, from an employer’s perspective that means being active in the way we manage stress in the workplace.

Some relatively easy things that can be done:

• Raise awareness
• Provide a safe working environment where it is easy to discuss with no shame (this is a legal requirement)
• Publish a Stress Management and Dignity at work policy
• Provide training to Managers to spot the early warning signals and provide them with the resources to support
• Publish Health & Wellbeing articles to ensure your employees understand that you are a caring organisation

Workplace wellbeing is now increasingly at the forefront of employers’ agendas. It is generally considered that for a business to function, it needs to ensure that its employees are healthy, happy and supported.

Our latest Health & Wellbeing series is a great resource to share with your employees to encourage them to deal with stress head-on and develop the skills to overcome it. With tips on how to combat stress effectively; ideas on what to eat to give yourself a boost, tips on how to give up smoking; dehydration and exercise at work, our new series aims to arm employees with everything they need to maintain a balanced and healthy work lifestyle.

Please contact me if you’d like to talk about how we can help your organisation, we offer consultancy and bespoke training. Every quarter we will be sending out a newsletter sharing the latest news from celticHR, legal updates, links to articles on HR news and leadership insights.

 

Thanks for reading

Hayley

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