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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How employers can prevent mental health crises at work
Managing stress in the workplace is often treated as an afterthought. By the time employers are aware that it's a problem, workers are usually already grappling with heavy workloads, arbitrary deadlines, micromanagers and a multitude of other issues affecting their wellbeing. One in nine (11%) adults in the UK feel stressed every single day and a third blame work for it. According to the Workplace Health Report by Champion Health, workloads, a lack of support, a lack of control and bosses are the main reasons why people feel stressed at work, alongside money worries and problems balancing work and childcare. Read more: 'Dad strike' as UK's paternity leave worst in Europe Despite stress being a major concern, many employers address employee wellbeing only after problems arise, rather than taking proactive steps to prevent them. 'Often, stress is only addressed when it reaches a crisis point: burnout, absenteeism, or a noticeable drop in performance. By that time, the emotional and financial costs are already high,' says Dr Lalitaa Suglani, a psychologist working with Office Freedom. 'There's also a cultural narrative in many workplaces that equates stress with productivity or resilience, that stress is just part of the job,' adds Suglani. 'This mindset can lead to an underestimation of how chronic, unmanaged stress silently accumulates and erodes both wellbeing and performance over time.' So what can employers do to help prevent stress in the first place – rather than trying to manage it when it's already a problem? Create a psychologically safe environment Preventing stress is about creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel supported, seen and valued, before they become overwhelmed, says Suglani. Read more: How inadequate maternity leave harms mothers' wellbeing 'Employers can do this by normalising open dialogue around workload and capacity and encouraging regular check-ins that go beyond task updates,' she says. 'It's also important to train managers in emotional intelligence and trauma-informed leadership. This allows them to better spot early warning signs of stress and offer appropriate support, rather than unintentionally exacerbating it.' Promote autonomy and trust In recent years, organisational psychologists have begun to explore how autonomy can make us happier, healthier and more productive. Studies show that people with more autonomy at work experience more determination and have a sense of ownership over their work. It's also thought to foster resilience, confidence and job satisfaction – factors that can help to prevent stress. 'Promoting autonomy and trust is key,' says Suglani. 'When employees are trusted to work in ways that suit their rhythm – within reason – it supports both motivation and wellbeing. It's also helpful to create pathways for internal feedback. Giving employees a voice in how work is structured or supported helps them feel empowered, and surfaces hidden stressors before they escalate.' Recognise early signs of problematic stress Managers should be educated to spot the early warning signs of stress so they can offer support before a person becomes ill, says Pamela Gellatly, a consultant at HCML, a rehabilitation case management, treatment and occupational healthcare firm. Stress can manifest in a number of ways, including headaches, muscle tension, digestive issues, irritability, anxiety and difficulty concentrating. 'Line managers should be mindful of not increasing work pressures if they are aware that an individual is having to cope with various pressures outside of work,' she says. 'Employees should also be able to ask for help – not just when they are ill, but if they are struggling with say an issue with managing young children, or are not finding the time to be active due to work and home life.' Set and model clear boundaries The expectation to be always 'on' fuels chronic stress. However, telling people they're welcome to take breaks during the day is futile if leaders don't model the same behaviour. If managers are seen taking lunch breaks and respecting out-of-office hours, employees are more likely to do the same. It sends a clear message that working overtime isn't expected of anyone. Read more: How to speak to your boss about a women's health issue 'Role modelling is critical,' says Abigail Ireland, founder of Understanding Performance, a leadership and training consultancy. 'If leaders encourage and take breaks themselves, it gives everyone else permission to recharge effectively. If leaders work late, send out-of-hours emails and book meetings throughout lunch breaks, this is sending a strong message which will permeate down to the team.' Make sure workloads are realistic 'Ensure workloads are realistic and aligned with team capacity. High-performing cultures can still be kind,' says Suglani. 'Overloading high-capacity employees without reprieve eventually leads to burnout and losing your strongest people.' Financially, prevention is far more cost-effective than recovery. Burnout leads to increased sick days, reduced productivity and a higher turnover, while proactively preventing stress supports retention, engagement and long-term performance. 'When we build systems that prioritise psychological safety and sustainable working conditions, we foster not just healthier teams but more ethical, human-centred leadership cultures,' says Suglani. Read more: Five questions you shouldn't be asked in a job interview How to manage 'time blindness' at work if you have ADHD Can body doubling make us more productive at work?
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How employers can prevent mental health crises at work
Managing stress in the workplace is often treated as an afterthought. By the time employers are aware that it's a problem, workers are usually already grappling with heavy workloads, arbitrary deadlines, micromanagers and a multitude of other issues affecting their wellbeing. One in nine (11%) adults in the UK feel stressed every single day and a third blame work for it. According to the Workplace Health Report by Champion Health, workloads, a lack of support, a lack of control and bosses are the main reasons why people feel stressed at work, alongside money worries and problems balancing work and childcare. Read more: 'Dad strike' as UK's paternity leave worst in Europe Despite stress being a major concern, many employers address employee wellbeing only after problems arise, rather than taking proactive steps to prevent them. 'Often, stress is only addressed when it reaches a crisis point: burnout, absenteeism, or a noticeable drop in performance. By that time, the emotional and financial costs are already high,' says Dr Lalitaa Suglani, a psychologist working with Office Freedom. 'There's also a cultural narrative in many workplaces that equates stress with productivity or resilience, that stress is just part of the job,' adds Suglani. 'This mindset can lead to an underestimation of how chronic, unmanaged stress silently accumulates and erodes both wellbeing and performance over time.' So what can employers do to help prevent stress in the first place – rather than trying to manage it when it's already a problem? Create a psychologically safe environment Preventing stress is about creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel supported, seen and valued, before they become overwhelmed, says Suglani. Read more: How inadequate maternity leave harms mothers' wellbeing 'Employers can do this by normalising open dialogue around workload and capacity and encouraging regular check-ins that go beyond task updates,' she says. 'It's also important to train managers in emotional intelligence and trauma-informed leadership. This allows them to better spot early warning signs of stress and offer appropriate support, rather than unintentionally exacerbating it.' Promote autonomy and trust In recent years, organisational psychologists have begun to explore how autonomy can make us happier, healthier and more productive. Studies show that people with more autonomy at work experience more determination and have a sense of ownership over their work. It's also thought to foster resilience, confidence and job satisfaction – factors that can help to prevent stress. 'Promoting autonomy and trust is key,' says Suglani. 'When employees are trusted to work in ways that suit their rhythm – within reason – it supports both motivation and wellbeing. It's also helpful to create pathways for internal feedback. Giving employees a voice in how work is structured or supported helps them feel empowered, and surfaces hidden stressors before they escalate.' Recognise early signs of problematic stress Managers should be educated to spot the early warning signs of stress so they can offer support before a person becomes ill, says Pamela Gellatly, a consultant at HCML, a rehabilitation case management, treatment and occupational healthcare firm. Stress can manifest in a number of ways, including headaches, muscle tension, digestive issues, irritability, anxiety and difficulty concentrating. 'Line managers should be mindful of not increasing work pressures if they are aware that an individual is having to cope with various pressures outside of work,' she says. 'Employees should also be able to ask for help – not just when they are ill, but if they are struggling with say an issue with managing young children, or are not finding the time to be active due to work and home life.' Set and model clear boundaries The expectation to be always 'on' fuels chronic stress. However, telling people they're welcome to take breaks during the day is futile if leaders don't model the same behaviour. If managers are seen taking lunch breaks and respecting out-of-office hours, employees are more likely to do the same. It sends a clear message that working overtime isn't expected of anyone. Read more: How to speak to your boss about a women's health issue 'Role modelling is critical,' says Abigail Ireland, founder of Understanding Performance, a leadership and training consultancy. 'If leaders encourage and take breaks themselves, it gives everyone else permission to recharge effectively. If leaders work late, send out-of-hours emails and book meetings throughout lunch breaks, this is sending a strong message which will permeate down to the team.' Make sure workloads are realistic 'Ensure workloads are realistic and aligned with team capacity. High-performing cultures can still be kind,' says Suglani. 'Overloading high-capacity employees without reprieve eventually leads to burnout and losing your strongest people.' Financially, prevention is far more cost-effective than recovery. Burnout leads to increased sick days, reduced productivity and a higher turnover, while proactively preventing stress supports retention, engagement and long-term performance. 'When we build systems that prioritise psychological safety and sustainable working conditions, we foster not just healthier teams but more ethical, human-centred leadership cultures,' says Suglani. Read more: Five questions you shouldn't be asked in a job interview How to manage 'time blindness' at work if you have ADHD Can body doubling make us more productive at work?Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What Severance gets right about work wellbeing culture
Severance is one of the most creative, talked about TV shows of the last few years, and for good reason. While most of us don't work for a dystopian, cult-like corporation that implants microchips into our brains, it's not hard to recognise — and relate to — the elements of today's corporate culture that it satirises. For those who haven't watched Severance, it follows the lives of employees at the biotech firm Lumen. Workers are offered the company's pioneering "severance" procedure, a surgical procedure that splits a person's memories into their work and personal lives. When the "outie" takes the office lift to work, their work-self or "innie" awakens for the work day with no memories of their outside life. And at the end of the day, their "outie" is resurrected with no recollection of what they do, or who they work with. It's the ultimate way to achieve a work-life balance. But despite the sci-fi premise, Severance gets a number of things right about our modern workplaces — including how businesses try to fix people's poor mental health (and sometimes don't quite get it right). In the show, "Wellness" is a department which carries out so-called wellness sessions with the innies. Exactly how these sessions improve their health is unclear — rather, they appear to test the effectiveness of the memory blocking aspect of the chip, to ensure the severed employees are productive. In other words, there's little benefit to the workers at all. Read more: Why working from home stigma is bad for workers and businesses 'Many workplace health and wellbeing strategies fail because they focus on optics rather than meaningful change,' says psychologist Dr Lalitaa Suglani, speaking on behalf of Office Freedom. 'While wellness rooms or fitness classes may look good, they don't address deeper structural problems, such as toxic management practices, lack of autonomy, or unreasonable workloads,' she says. 'When such initiatives are framed as 'solutions' they can come across as performative or manipulative, especially if employees feel these perks are substitutes for actual support.' Moreover, Severance's wellness rooms reflect the often unforgiving corporate culture of wellbeing programmes. Often, they're solely performative — and give businesses the appearance of being supportive, without actually looking after their employees. Despite 75% of UK employers offering workplace mental health support, only 45% of employees believe their mental health is a high priority for their employer, according to a 2024 Benenden Health report. While the majority of workers believe wellness strategies have lowered sickness absence rates, organisations admit that this wasn't the goal — instead, it was to increase productivity. Read more: How to spot if you're being love-bombed at work Crucially, though, genuine strategies to improve wellbeing will organically boost engagement and productivity. These include offering flexibility, autonomy, empathetic management, evidence-based employee assistance programmes and ensuring workers aren't overloaded — especially with busywork or purposeless meetings. It's about treating health wellbeing as a genuine priority, not a tick-box exercise. 'To create impactful wellbeing strategies, employers must consult employees directly, offering flexibility, creating open communication, and addressing the root causes of workplace stress,' says Suglani. 'Real solutions come from reshaping the culture, not masking the symptoms.' Work-life balance may be a popular buzzword, but for many, it's an unattainable pipedream. Unless you're a severed employee at Lumon — and your memory has been split in two and your consciousness compartmentalised by an implant — we don't just take work home. We often live and breathe it. Our "always on" working culture means we spend hours replying on Slack or "circling back" to emails, while our to-do list grows ever-longer. We field "urgent" messages on our phones before we've fully woken up in the morning, and feel guilty and anxious if we ignore the pings. In some ways, it's easy to envy Lumon workers who have undergone the dystopian severance procedure. 'The boundaries between work and personal life have become increasingly blurred. The 'always on' culture is driven by technology, working with global colleagues across multiple time zones, unrealistic expectations, and the mistaken belief that constant availability equals commitment or productivity,' says Jessica Chivers, coaching psychologist, executive coach, author and director of The Talent Keeper Specialists. 'This creates a cycle of burnout rather than sustainable success. To truly support employees, organisations must prioritise boundaries and normalise stepping away from work to recharge,' she says. 'Leaders are who we look to for the cue that it's OK to switch off and get fully immersed in our lives outside work. If they're not doing it, it's difficult for others to do it.' As the war over remote work rumbles on, employers are trying different approaches to get people to return to their offices. Some are issuing threats and ultimatums, while others are trying to incentivise people with perks. After Covid restrictions were lifted, Goldman Sachs (GS) offered workers free ice cream, while one company installed a rooftop garden for employees. One company put a "bar" in their office building. The concept of the office perk is held up to ridicule in Severance. To keep workers happy, Lumon offers its workers waffle parties, melon ball buffets, finger traps, and egg bars — in which a trolley loaded with devilled eggs is delivered to jubilant employees. But, as emphasised, these corporate toys do little to bolster job satisfaction and wellbeing. 'Work perks like free snacks in the office might boost happiness momentarily, but they won't ensure employees' long-term health and wellbeing,' says Molly Johnson-Jones, CEO and founder of future of work specialists Flexa. 'What will do this is meaningful support that addresses staff's top needs like generous parental leave policies, robust mental health support and flexible working arrangements, alongside a supportive company culture.' Read more: Monotasking: How to focus on one thing at a time Free pizza might be nice, but what workers really want is to be treated as people. As adults with professional and personal responsibilities who therefore need flexibility — and should be able to access it without judgement or fear of reprisals. 'Employees thrive in environments with flexibility, autonomy, and supportive leadership,' says Chivers. 'Perks that are not backed by meaningful policies, such as reasonable workloads, psychological safety, and opportunities for growth, often feel hollow. 'Real workplace happiness stems from feeling valued, having control over one's work, and being trusted to perform without micromanagement.' Severance may be a caricature of the modern workplace, but the message is clear. Tokenistic approaches to boost wellbeing aren't helpful. While many of the approaches are well-intentioned, what it really takes to improve mental health is actually quite simple — crackdown on overwork, offer flexibility and autonomy, and treat people fairly. Waffle parties are just a bonus. Read more: Women are paying the price for taking longer maternity leave 5 red flags in a job interview you shouldn't ignore Working parents are missing out on networking, new research suggestsSign in to access your portfolio
