American workers are some of the most chronically stressed anywhere in the world, and tech workers have, of late, been under a particularly heavy burden. Layoffs are rife throughout the tech industry, and, as Forbes notes, that’s a huge source of negative health; almost 90% of professionals are self-reporting burnout. It is, of course, the prerogative of a business to make cuts during tough times, but that doesn’t mean that they should completely depart from their well-being commitment to employees. In fact, going a step further in protecting staff can help to improve their productivity and help the business to grow.
Foundation principles
Employers can make great strides towards protecting their employees by simply taking a proactive view of how they protect them during injury. Where employer liability starts, and ends are becoming more of a gray zone; with hybrid and remote working, they could be liable for injuries incurred on the job at home. The state in which they live can be influential in the outcome of such accidents. For example, as widely reported by news outlets, including the Kansas Reflector, Kansas is one of the worst states in the country for workers based on a low rate of workers’ compensation and slow turnaround rates on applications. Conversely, California’s quick application processing time and generous rate of payment make it a much more secure place when an injury occurs. Employers can be part of this conversation by taking an open view of workplace injury and cooperating with staff to ensure they receive their entitlements promptly.
Providing support
Providing consistent support for mental well-being should begin with the business assessing its pain points. Improvements in stress don’t happen in a vacuum, and as a result, the Harvard Business Review recommends self-analysis by managers to see how they can improve the state of play. That includes being willing to reduce workloads, being open and vulnerable, and, crucially, being flexible. Conforming to how the employee likes to be managed – as long as they’re achieving – will do a lot to ensure work is a safe space for them.
Improving benefits
Stress and mental health impacts come from outside of work too, of course. The cost of living, personal circumstances, and global events can all contribute to ill mental health, and being a focus of resilience for the employee can help to improve the reputation of the business and make it more attractive to potential hires. As McKinsey highlights, improving the employee benefits package so that they have access to the full range of mental well-being tools they need to improve their mental health will benefit them not just in work but in their private life, resulting in an overall improvement in mental well-being.
It’s a stressful time for employees – their employers can do a lot to try and mitigate that. By becoming a source of true resilience in the workplace, they can have a meaningful impact on their lives. In turn, that improves productivity and the reputation of the business – crucial at a time when the labor market is smaller than ever.
