How a good employee benefits platform can reduce the risk of stress and burnout

According to Statista_¹ though, by far the most common type is work stress with 79 percent of respondents reporting they frequently experienced heightened levels of stress in the workplace.

Excess workload is cited as the most prevalent cause, but other pressures include a lack of support, job security, and issues with peers or senior staff members. What’s clear is that it’s not just affecting the workforce; businesses are also suffering, losing 13.7 million working days each year in the UK because of work-related stress, anxiety, and depression, The cost amounts to £28.3 billion annually².

We can surely all relate to some level of stress as we go about our business. In some
instances, stress can be seen as a healthy tool for staying motivated and productive. Bigger problems arise when an overload of stress leads to a lack of productivity, or worse – total burnout. The big question is, how do we avoid encountering a ‘stress epidemic’?

Matt Russell, CEO of Zest Benefits says, “Taking any kind of workplace stress seriously is crucial for the employer. Whether it’s small changes to the working day that make everyone’s life a bit smoother, to big changes that reinvent working practices; stress is an ever-present issue that can’t be ignored. The business benefits of tackling work-related stress include reduced cost of absence, including sick pay, sickness cover, overtime and recruitment, improved workplace morale and increased employee satisfaction.”

Wellbeing Policies Work

Mental and physical well-being are closely connected, so making sure benefits and strategies that encourage overall wellness are fundamental. Offering support for mental health such as talking therapy or encouraging better lifestyle choices through subsidised gym memberships or healthy eating incentives are just some of the measures that can prevent stress reaching the point of overwhelm.

Make Resources Easily Available

Providing education, tools, and support is a proactive way to improve the overall health and well-being of your workforce. Making access to those resources easy and uncomplicated, plus communicating them with an innovative employee benefits platform is key.

Interactive techniques, such as those available on an intuitive platform like Zest are proven to lead to higher levels of staff wellbeing, satisfaction, and engagement.

Get Clear On Communication

Getting positive feedback is a feelgood boost and modern ways of working mean it has never been more important to make employees feel valued and connected to each other.

Keeping employees up to date regarding changes and managing their own performance keeps them focused and on track, and also reduces possible feelings of stress and anxiety.

Zest’s Recognition Centre seamlessly connects with the rest of the Zest platform so your people can show their appreciation for others while you continue to boost employee engagement.

Insights Matter

As an employer, being able to access data from your benefits platform and monitor its usage helps to spot trends across your workforce and address them.

Understanding which resources and benefits are adding value and refining them to suit your workforce can help you deliver the right kind of rewards, resources, and incentives unique to what your organisation and people most need. Stress is not a one-dimensional issue and therefore, it needs personalised solutions when tackling it.

Reducing workplace stress while increasing employee engagement has benefits all around. With the right tools in place, a happier workforce and improved business performance can go hand-in-hand.

If you would like to arrange a demonstration of the Zest Platform please click here and a member of our team would be happy to arrange this with you: https://www.zestbenefits.com/book-a-demo/