Six Reasons Why Your Employees are Way More Stressed Out than they should be

Dixie Somers

August 11, 2014

	Not rated
	Rate:

When a business is first starting out, having good employees is invaluable for new business owners. Having a group you can rely on to help get the business of the ground is essential for lightening the load that is often placed on first-time entrepreneurs. If you are a new business owner, it’s important to keep your employees satisfied since stressed employees cost you time, money and a happy workplace. Yes, starting a business is stressful, but many new businesses lose their work force because the owner is focused on things besides employee satisfaction. An employee’s satisfaction level is based on much more than how much they are paid—so if you are an entrepreneur who is trying to improve the work environment for your employees, read on to learn about things that stress employees out the most.

Too Many Hours

The hours that you expect from your employees should coordinate with the type of work they are doing. Yes, you need to work extra hard in the beginning in order to help your business to succeed, but taxing hours cause burnout and a steady fall in work quality. If the work at your company consists of physical labor, you can avoid overworking your current employees by hiring a few more helping hands. Consider cutting "full time" back a few hours while maintaining salaries or letting trusted employees telecommute a few days a week. You may find that your relaxed, rested and recharged employees get more done in less time and take less sick days when they aren’t constantly being overworked.

Work Overload

Efficient multi-tasking is a myth. The more responsibilities you pile onto employees, the less focus they have. With an open mind and critical eye, examine your workloads. You may discover piles of time-wasting paperwork, skewed workload distribution or time considerations you overlooked when assigning tasks. Don't be afraid to ask your employees how you can help them to get more done, or what changes would help in the work distribution. If you are the only “boss” figure in the company, you might need to appoint a manager who can pick up the slack with minor responsibilities so that everyone can more adequately fulfill their job requirements. You need to have a full understanding of your employee’s tasks and how long they take, or you might have unrealistic expectations when it comes to the amount of work you are assigning and time constraints for completion.

Overbearing Oversight

As an entrepreneur who has a perfect vision for what you want your company to become, it's easy to micro-manage your employees to death. If you are attempting to run your company by micro-managing, your employees will find themselves drowning in checklists or glancing over their shoulders anxiously. Let go of your own anxieties and let your employees do their jobs. Set clear goals and major tasks, but let your employees complete them in their own way. No one likes to feel incompetent, and when you meddle in every task given to your employees, it makes them feel like you don’t trust them. Make your expectations clear, let your employees go to work, and make changes when you fear a problem could arise.

Conflicting and Unclear Priorities

Not only is it important for your employees to know what standard of work is expected from them, but you also need to align your priorities with those of your employees so that all of your expectations are met. Not knowing what to prioritize makes employees anxious and can cause them to waste valuable time feeling unsure about how important a specific task is. Make it clear which projects and goals take precedence over others. You might be sending mixed signals to employees about expectations, so make sure you give them the chance to ask questions about priorities before time is wasted.

Safety and Healthcare

Mounting healthcare concerns have many people sweating, and while healthy employees will naturally be less stressed, this is a hot topic that your employees will need some clarity on. Give your company's healthcare perks some priority. Make insurance plans flexible, allowing your workers to pick what they need and can afford, and consider bonuses like health club memberships. You also need to ensure that your employees are as safe as possible. According to the professionals at Nutech Safety Ltd, who specialize in safety equipment and supplies in Toronto, having an unsafe work environment is one of the top causes of stress for employees. If your company has a factory or warehouse, do everything you can to ensure that all the employees working in that capacity are trained and that you have the proper safety equipment. This seems like a basic priority, however, many entrepreneurs are occupied with so many responsibilities that some of the lower tiers in the business have problems that are completely unknown to the owner.

Job Security Worries

Whether it's the economy, the industry, or the status of the company, a majority of employees worried about their job stability. Be honest with your employees about where your company stands financially, and be open with them about how much you value them. It is helpful to have monthly meetings where employees can talk with management regarding their progress and any problems—employees are much less likely to stress about their job stability if they know where they stand and how the management feels about them. It’s also helpful to have frequent meetings in which you talk with employees about changes in the industry and how your company will deal with them. The more informed your employees are, the bigger asset they will be to you.

You don't need studies and statistics to know that stress within the business matters. While cutting back on hours and expectations may seem counter-productive on paper, addressing stress in the workplace will spike productivity across the board. As a new business owner, you can’t afford to lose your employees because you have a lot of work to do and no time for recruiting and interviewing a new workforce. Take a little extra time to address the stress points of your current workforce, and you will find that you can quickly soothe their worries and improve their work ethic.