Write an article based on this "Ask your employee if they feel like their job stresses them out. Find ways to reduce workplace stressors that bother your employee. Encourage stressed employees to use sick leave to de-stress. Ask a stressed employee not to take on extra duties around the office. Set aside quiet places in the workplace where employees can go to rest. Recommend counseling"
Speaking with someone is the best way to really determine if they're stressed at work, and whether or not the stress is impacting their job performance or mental health. Encourage the employee to be honest with you. Clarify that, even if they admit they're stressed, it won't put their job at stake. Try saying something like, "Hey Dave, I've noticed that you've been a little on edge lately. You've also been coming in early pretty often, but have still missed 2 or 3 deadlines. If you don't mind my asking, have you been under much stress lately?" In most cases, employees will have a pretty good idea of what's causing them to feel stressed around the workplace. Remind employees that, as their supervisor, you have an open-door policy regarding anything that's stressing them out about their job. Find out what makes your employee stressed, and talk about ways to reduce this stress. For example, the employee may say something like, "Delivering the quarterly budget reports to the Board really stresses me out and I hate doing it." In this case, give the employee some helpful strategies for successfully presenting information to the Board. A well-prepared employee will feel less stressed out. Employees can become stressed if they've been assigned an unrealistic amount of work or if they've had to take on work that doesn't fall under their job description. If an employee is stressed out by the sheer amount of work they deal with on a weekly basis, ask them to take a day or 2 off using their personal leave or sick leave. If the employee doesn't have much sick and personal leave to use, speak to the HR department. HR may suggest other ways to give the employee a few days off, including offering them leave without pay. However, be aware that employees are not legally entitled to be granted time off in the case of workplace stress. Some employees have a tendency to pick up slack around the office, even if it causes them stress. For example, say an employee has been working 60-hour weeks in order to complete tasks that aren't technically in their job description. Ask the employee to work no more than 40 hours a week, and to not take on any responsibilities that they're not required to perform. This should lower the employee's overall stress level. To make sure that overall productivity doesn't fall, you could bring on a new intern to take over responsibilities that the stressed-out worker had been performing. Communicate with your employees frequently to find out how they're handling the pressures of the job. Employers and supervisors often don't know that their employees are being overworked until the employee raises the issue. Stressed-out employees often feel as if they can't escape the constant feeling of stress while they're at work. You can help them feel more at-ease by setting aside 23 quiet, work-free zones. Encourage your employees to visit these spaces when they're stressed so they can chill out and calm down. For example, you could outfit a breakroom with a comfy sofa or beanbag chair and encourage stressed employees to take a 10-minute break in this room whenever they feel stressed out. You could also post a good-humored sign that says something like "No Work-Talk Allowed!" Or, if you don't have many empty rooms in your workspace, you could institute a policy that employees must step outside and get some fresh air at least once a day. Keep in mind that general office morale can have a lot to do with how stressed employees feel. If employees are in good spirits and enjoy their work, they're less likely to feel stressed. if your employee's mental health is suffering. Constant stress can lead to physical illnesses and problems with mental health. If your employee remains stressed after you've modified their workload or asked someone else to take some of their assignments, therapy and counseling are the next best step. While your employee's workplace productivity is important, their mental health is more valuable. In many cases, large companies have in-house counselors that you can refer your employee to. If you're not sure what resources your company has, ask youror your employee'sHR representative. If your employee has company health insurance, there's a good chance that it includes a mental-health or counseling component.