Supporting employee wellbeing is a large part of many organisations across Australia. Ensuring your workplace promotes high levels of wellness will lead to increased engagement, higher performance, and better staff retention. While some businesses excel at this through initiatives and employee assistance programs, there may still be occasions where problems persist if the underlying issue is left unaddressed.
Issues often develop slowly over time, so they can sometimes go unnoticed. Here are some signs that employees may need extra support to ensure your workplace is a safe and healthy environment.
Increasing stress levels
Stress is a normal part of every employee’s life, but if multiple people on your team seem overwhelmed regularly, they may not be able to cope. Individuals who are constantly worried or overwhelmed will eventually have a hard time keeping their minds focused on work. They may start to fall behind on tasks or have a hard time working with others.
Look out for symptoms of stress, such as snapping, difficulty focusing, taking more sick days, or a decrease in work quality. If team members often complain about feeling burnt out or drained, it may be time to evaluate workloads and allow employees to speak up when they are struggling.
Encouraging team discussions about wellbeing can help identify stress-related issues before they become serious problems.
Taking more sick days
Nobody likes to get sick, but when people aren’t feeling well, we often need to take time off work to recover. However, if someone in your office is suddenly taking a lot of unplanned sick days, then they may be experiencing difficulties that prevent them from coming into work.
Sick days can be due to physical illness, but they can also be caused by emotional or mental distress. When people take large numbers of days off without notice, it can strain teams, which only exacerbates the problem.
Tracking how often employees are taking time off will help you notice any unusual patterns. If you begin to see sudden increases in absenteeism, consider talking to your staff about what’s going on rather than writing them up for poor performance.
Higher turnover
While it is normal for people to leave when they want to accept a new position or move up in their careers, those who leave because of their environment can be a telltale sign that they aren’t feeling supported.
If your turnover is higher than in the past, try conducting exit interviews with team members who are leaving. If multiple employees mention a similar problem, your workplace might benefit from implementing stronger wellbeing strategies.
Decreased engagement
An engaged employee is generally someone who cares about their work and wants their team to perform well. Disengaged workers may begin to check out and no longer care about how their individual performance can affect the team’s success.
Look for employees who no longer participate in team meetings, have lost enthusiasm for projects, refuse to help their teammates, or do the bare minimum when given an assignment. Workers who were once engaged with their tasks may suddenly become withdrawn and apathetic.
Engagement can often decline when people don’t feel like their needs are being met or think that their voice no longer matters at your organisation.
Conflict between employees is more frequent
Conflict is common in any workplace, and sometimes disagreements are bound to happen. However, if your staff are constantly fighting over petty arguments, or you notice conflicts becoming more severe, there might be underlying wellbeing issues at play.
Employees experiencing stress or with poor communication skills may take their frustration out on their colleagues. If someone is going through a tough time in their personal life, they may also struggle to control their emotions at work.
The increase in conflict can often be the first sign of trouble before people speak out about their concerns. If you notice coworkers arguing more frequently, try to identify patterns that can lead to improvement.
Employees are afraid to speak up
This goes hand in hand with noticing when employees are struggling. If your team don’t feel comfortable coming to you with problems, issues will start to slip through the cracks.
Creating an environment of psychological safety will allow your workers to speak up when they feel overstressed or are struggling to meet deadlines. Promoting your employee assistance program can help individuals know that resources are available should they need them.
When employees feel supported, they are more likely to speak up about concerns in the workplace. Encourage staff wellness by watching for the signs mentioned above. Once you notice an issue, try to find a solution that will support your employees while creating an environment that allows your business to thrive.
If you’re looking for ways to support your people better but aren’t sure where to start, seek out the services of a psychology specialist. They can offer valuable insight to help your business establish a strong employee wellbeing program.
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