Future of Work: How employers effectively reduce workplace stress
72% of Millennials want company supported wellness initiatives
Workplace stress is at an all-time high. There’s a growing list of deadlines to hit, deliverables to execute on, relationships to build, customers to service, emails to check, calendars to manage, and action items to follow-up on.
Based on a recent workplace stress study conducted by Udemy, workers of every generation report feeling more stressed today in 2017 than they were last year, and the majority of millennials say they are stressed at work most or all of the time. The primary factors driving workplace stress are:
Being replaced by automation and artificial intelligence
Changing job requirements
Having a bad manager
Outside of the workplace, it’s not a surprise that the the top stressor for 28% of workers is the country’s political climate.
The study clearly reveals that prioritizing wellness has become more important than ever. Stress can affect not only physical and mental health, but also behavior.
How can companies help their people alleviate work stress?
In the Udemy study, 72% of surveyed Millennials suggested company supported wellness initiatives as a solution. Corporate wellness and employee wellbeing expert Alan Kohll outlines mindfulness and stress management as two of the top wellness initiative trends in 2017.
BigTalker’s Dave Sloan, an expert in connecting companies with onsite learning sessions, emphasizes the value of implementing mindfulness programs in the workplace:
“Mindfulness is a great topic for any team. It’s extremely approachable and immediately helps to reduce stress. Fundamentally, the goal of mindfulness training is to be more present, to be a better listener, and to be kind.”
Many companies such as Aetna are already aware of the value of teaching mindfulness at work. Aetna implemented a mindfulness program and saw stress levels plummet by 28%, sleep quality improved by 20%, and physical pain dropped by 19%. Aetna also calculated the savings to the company, finding that, on average, mindfulness participants gained 62 minutes of productivity per week, which is an estimated $3,000-per-employee increase in productivity for the company each year.
The key to launching a successful mindfulness program
After introducing mindfulness to several clients, Dave of BigTalker learned:
“It’s critical to have a fantastic facilitator introduce a team to the concept — it helps establish the importance of the topic, peaks an interest, and provides an overview of the fundamentals.
Teams appreciate the experience of a coached, guided mindfulness meditation, and they say it is an experience they cannot simulate on their own. Our professional mindfulness session inspires employees to volunteer to lead sessions several times a week on a regular basis.”
Dave also recommends these follow-up steps post-session to ensure ongoing employee engagement:
- Provide One-on-One Coaching Opportunities: For employees who seek further coaching, connect them to the mindfulness expert for one-on-one sessions
- Encourage Employees to Use Apps: Recommend mindfulness and meditation apps such as Simple Habit, Calm
- Start a Book Club: Provide mindfulness book recommendations such as Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Offering by Kim Nicol
A clear incentive to invest in employee wellbeing
Progressive companies like Aetna acknowledge the reality of work stress and help support their people by providing stress management practices, such as mindfulness. Companies that prioritize the wellbeing of their people are inherently more productive and more successful. Investing in wellness initiatives reduces employee stress, improves productivity and reduces the cost of healthcare and churn.
All in all, bringing in a mindfulness expert is a great example of a company providing much needed professional development to employees. The expert enables experiential team learning and therefore tangible group practice for employees. Rather than just reading a book or using an app on an individual basis, the collective experience leads to peer support and culture building. Many companies will follow suit with this model: learning by doing, together.
This post is part of a series on the Future of Work:
Future of Work: Job training for humans
Future of Work: Our love-hate relationship with technology
Future of Work: Learning the most important skill — teamwork
Hat tip to Josh Schwartzman for helping edit this piece.
