Throughout the UK, one of the most influential factors that can lead to illness and absence from work is workplace stress. Therefore, by managing such stress within the working environment, companies could cut down on their levels of absenteeism, and further improve upon their productivity and profitability.
Figuring out how much of an impact this stress is having on a company’s productivity can be the much-needed push in the right direction to ensure that prevention methods are put in place to help alleviate any potential triggers of this stress within the office environment.
Flexible office hours
Creating flexible office hours for employees, can help significantly in improving employee satisfaction, able to organise work around their personal schedule and ensuring workers are happier with their timetables. This could help to improve employee morale, create a better working environment and therefore lead to less stressed out employee, and furthermore less absenteeism.
Promote cleanliness in the office
A busy office can be a hot bed for germs and taking basic measures to make the workplace hygienic can go a long way. Through internal emails or office meetings, staff should be reminded about leaving dirty plates in the sink and leaving food in the fridge that is past its sell by date.
Trovex.com recommends firms of all sizes to have adequate procedures in place, which may be simple signs in the kitchen to encourage people to wash hands, remove food that is no longer in use and to have hand wash and antibacterial dispensers in every room.
Design of the workplace
In addition to this, improving the physical design of the workplace may help to create a less anxious, and therefore more productive and happy, working environment. Reconsidering such elements of the office’s space as the lighting, not making it too bright and having a nicely toned light can help minimise headache and eyestrain.
Other examples include reducing the noise disturbances as much as possible, the temperature within the office, reducing any nasty smells and perhaps rearranging the office layout with the help of the employees to ensure a nicer, more stimulating environment for work, minimizing stress.
It is also important to talk through any issues with employees who have been absent from work quite frequently, determining, as previously mentioned, the specific reasons behind why they are taking time off work and furthermore finding ways to alleviate this cause together.
Having a straight-forward discussion about reasons for absenteeism with frequently absent employees is an extremely effective way to pinpoint where the office environment is going wrong, and therefore how to improve it, reducing worker absence and improving the company’s overall productivity and profitability. Strengthening team spirit on top of making sure that employees feel noticed and taken care of can go further to ensure reduction in sickness at the workplace.
Try to make all members of staff aware that absences leave negative impacts not only on the business but also on the workloads of the other employees whilst trying to bring a sense of community to the office. This can improve the mentality of workers by creating a more communal and friendly office environment whilst making them aware of the impacts their absences may bring on other members of their team.