Managing Workplace Stress and Fatigue: A Practical Guide for Employers

Goodbye uncertainty caused by the global pandemic, hello inflation, rising interest rates, and recession fears. It’s not surprising that employees are feeling fatigued and burnt out.

In 2023, workplace stress and fatigue will continue to be a top concern for employers because of the detrimental impact on productivity and the likelihood of increased absence rates. The good news is that there are steps that both employers and employees can take to manage workplace stress and fatigue and promote employee well-being. In this guest blog by ELMO Software, we’re going to explore some practical strategies for doing just that.

What are the types of employee fatigue?

First, let’s start by outlining the types of fatigue, broadly speaking:

• Physical fatigue
• Mental fatigue
• Emotional fatigue
• Shift-work fatigue
• Travel fatigue

Causes of workplace stress and fatigue

In addition to the general types of fatigue highlighted above, there may be situational factors in your organisation that are contributing to workplace stress and fatigue. These factors are not always easy to identify, and they’re often not easy to rectify, but it’s always best to act sooner than later, saving your employees from a negative experience, and your organisation’s outcomes and bottom line the costs thereof.

Before we walk through some strategies for managing workplace stress and fatigue, let’s look at some common sources:

Bullying and harassment: The worry and anxiety that comes with feeling unsafe in their place of work can have a detrimental effect on employee health, leading to emotional fatigue. It’s critical for organisations to take a zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment in the workplace, that reporting processes are in place, and that HR is a trusted source of support.

Unmanageable workloads: Employees who feel unable to manage the amount of work on their plate will quickly become exhausted. While busy periods are inevitable in all jobs, if the workload is constantly unmanageable it can be difficult for employees to cope. It’s important for managers to regularly check-in with their direct reports to get a sense of their current workload and take action if employees are struggling. That could involve better prioritisation of tasks, redistributing work among the team, hiring extra staff or utilising contractors. If managers simply turn a blind eye, the health and wellbeing of their employees, not to mention the quality of their work, will begin to suffer. 

Lack of autonomy or flexibility: Employees who have more choice in how they tackle their workload or the flexibility to work in a way that best suits them find it easier to manage stress. On the opposite end of the spectrum, those who have little or no autonomy in how they work are more likely to feel trapped and disempowered, which only adds to their level of stress. It’s just one of the many arguments for embracing a flexible working culture that empowers employees to strike the right balance.

Strategies for managing workplace stress and fatigue

Reducing stress and fatigue in the workplace is crucial for maintaining a healthy and productive workforce. There are actions both businesses and employees should consider, but in this article, we’re focusing on a top-down approach that starts with the employer. Employer-focused strategies that can be effective for reducing stress and fatigue include:

Promoting flexible schedules: Employers can allow employees to have more control over their schedules by embracing a flexible working culture, which in turn can help to reduce stress and improve work-life balance. Flexibility doesn’t necessarily mean working from home, and take the form of altered working hours, part-time work or job sharing, shift-swapping, or being able to do admin work from home, for example.

Providing support and resources: Employers can provide resources such as an Employee Assistance Program, access to counselling, or educational programs to help employees learn how to better manage stress and fatigue.

Wellbeing leave: Many organisations have introduced specific wellbeing or mental health days as a result of the pandemic. Offered on top of the statutory requirements for annual and sick leave, these days are a way for employees to engage in an activity that benefits their mental or physical health.

Fostering a culture of open communication: This is a crucial, yet often overlooked, strategy to improve wellbeing because stress and fatigue are often hidden by employees. If staff don’t feel comfortable to speak up when they’re struggling, the problem cannot be addressed or resolved. That’s why it is so important for organisations to foster an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their stress and fatigue levels with their managers and HR.

Understanding the root causes of stress and fatigue

Employers need to know what the root causes of stress and fatigue are in order to be able to prevent and address them. That’s why regular Pulse Surveys are an essential tool that can empower a proactive proactive to employee wellbeing. Surveying doesn’t need to be a long and arduous process either. A quick, 10-question quarterly pulse check is enough for HR to monitor wellbeing levels among different teams, alerting them to signs of workplace stress and fatigue.

ELMO Software’s cloud-based suite of HR and payroll solutions include an integrated Survey module that allows users to take a quick pulse check of their workforce, either by creating their own survey or by using one of the many pre-built templates. The easy-to-use functionality makes it simple to visualise the results, compare data by key demographics, and share the results with stakeholders.

There’s no one answer to reducing employee stress and fatigue

Managing stress and fatigue is an ongoing process that requires commitment from both employers and employees. By taking an organisational, top-down approach, employers can strive to get the foundations right. After all, work itself should not be a cause of long-term stress and fatigue, especially if employers want a highly productive, sustainable and engaged workforce.

About the guest author:
ELMO Software is a leading provider of integrated, cloud-based HR technology operating in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. With over 3,000 customers, ELMO helps users to save valuable time, money, and resources by streamlining HR processes within one easy-to-use platform. This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal, tax, or other professional advice.