We are wondering what impact employee wellness programs have on stress levels and mental health. The
American Psychological Association (APA) reports that 69% of employees claim work is a significant source of stress and 41% say they typically feel tense or stressed out during the workday. 51% of employees said they were less productive at work as a result of stress and 52% report that they have made the decision to leave their job based on workplace stress. These are scary statistics to any employer looking to manage workplace wellness, increase employee motivation and engagement or improve employee retention rates.
Safety Daily Advisor outlines some low-cost and simple changes that anyone can make to help manage their workplace stress and overall employee wellness levels .
- Prioritize, streamline, delegate and discard. Be sure that what you’re doing is the most effective way to spend your time.
- Break it up. Take breaks, get up and walk around throughout the day.
- Make time. Give yourself time to be creative, eat a healthy lunch, or go outside.
- Send negativity flying. Don’t dwell on anything negative, especially when a co-worker sends it your way.
We also wonder what place incentives hold in corporate health and wellness programs, specifically to engage employees to lower stress levels to maintain their mental health. Any experiences out there?
