Is your business a place of stress? If so, it could be preventing you from growing. For any building certification business to thrive, it requires a hard-working and dedicated team. To achieve a high level of productivity and success, however, you'll need to do your part to foster a positive work environment.
Not sure where to begin? This article will cover how you can reduce stress and create a healthier work environment, along with some statistics on why stress management is so important to a workplace.
Stress can be incredibly detrimental to one's mental and physical wellbeing. The physical effects of stress on the body include low energy, increased vulnerability to colds, muscle pain, headaches, and more. The mental effects of stress increase the risk of mental health problems, including insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
These negative effects can lead to an unhappy and unproductive workplace, along with a high worker turnover rate. Unfortunately, workplace stress is very common. One study found that one in five Australians have taken time off work as a result of stress and mental health issues. Almost 50% considered their workplace to be mentally unhealthy. If you want to have a productive, happy, and efficient team, creating a more positive work environment is a must.
Workplace stress isn't always obvious, but as established above, it can impair an employee's health and productivity level. Thankfully, fostering a more positive and less stressful work environment is more straightforward than you might think. Some ways of creating a healthier and happier workplace include:
You could also do things a little more out of the box, like a 'bring your pet to work' day or having an office mascot. Creating a clearer pathway to promotion and rewards can also encourage productivity while making employees feel more valued. You can also offer cognitive behavioural therapy training for workers to encourage better stress management and a healthier balance between work and home life. If you're interested in making more changes around the office, it also never hurts to ask your employees for their input!
Another way of creating a happier workplace is to make changes to the physical environment. This can be done through redesigning the office space, eliminating any potential physical hazards, and investing in more comfortable office furniture. The latter is particularly important. Spending long hours sitting in uncomfortable chairs isn't good for workers or for maintaining a productive work atmosphere.
There's a variety of furniture you could choose to invest in. You could purchase more ergonomic desk chairs or buy a few standing desks to give workers the option of standing up while they work. A nice couch or two in the break room could also help workers relax and unwind while enjoying their break time.
If you implement some of these changes, you could see major changes in the way your certification company operates. Even the smaller changes can have a significant impact. It is important, however, to check in with your employees now and then to make sure the office doesn't slip back into old ways. This will allow you to continue enjoying the many benefits of a positive work environment going forward.