As a manager, employee wellbeing and safeguarding are a crucial part of your day-to-day role. Being able to spot stressed employees early is the best way to support your staff and ensure everyone feels happy and healthy. But if you’re not used to being in a position of responsibility, it can be difficult to know the signs. Here are five signs your team is too stressed and needs support.
Higher staff turnover
If you’re finding you’re recruiting more often and staff are leaving more regularly, your team may be managing high levels of stress. Stressed employees with no support are likely to leave to find better opportunities and may leave in quick succession to each other. Monitoring your average turnover levels and comparing can be a good way to see if this has increased.
Increased employee absences
Alongside higher staff turnover, you may find short-term absences are on the rise. An increase in sickness, especially with team members that aren’t often off can be a sign that your team aren’t feeling good. Providing support and resources to any colleagues who are off can help reduce stress levels and get your team back to feeling fit.
Lower performance quality
If your team are too stressed, their work may suffer when they are at work. High-stress levels are linked to lower performance quality and also lower productivity. Approaching any performance or productivity issues must be done sensitively as your team may be offended or upset if they feel you care more about productivity and performance than their mental health.
Unused annual leave
Tracking your team’s annual leave and ensuring they use their days across each quarter is a great way to reduce sickness and stress. If your team are getting to the end of the year with all their leave, they may feel too overwhelmed to take time off and maybe overworked and overtired. Trying to encourage your staff to take their annual leave for a full rest can help reduce the long-term impact of stress.
Increase in arguments
Relationships within the team can also be affected by stress and poor mental health. If your team are normally friendly and gets on well but is suddenly struggling with arguments and clashes, it may be a sign that something bigger is going on. Keeping an eye on the group and managing any tension can help keep the peace in the office for longer.
Managing stress and mental health is one of the most challenging parts of being a manager and it can be difficult to get it right. If you’re looking for more hands-on support for your team, investing in a specialised employee wellbeing team can make all the difference.
Tonic Wellbeing offers a range of employee wellness services designed to keep your team feeling their best. Our stress support services include reward days, workshops, counselling and much more to give your team the support you need. Get in touch with our practitioners to find out more and get started with our services.
