As work-life balance becomes ever more unbalanced, it’s no surprise that stress in the workplace is rising. Employees are feeling more stressed than ever and it’s critical for managers and business owners to pay attention to employees’ mental health. If you’re finding that your team members are experiencing negative impacts of work-related stress, it’s past time to do something about it. We’ve outlined eight actions employers can take to reduce employee stress and promote wellbeing at work.

1. Get to know your employees.
   It sounds simple, but having regular, one-on-one and team conversations with your employees helps build a sense of camaraderie and collected potential. When your team feels listened to and heard, it can empower individuals to share stressors or pain points for quicker resolution.
2. Be clear on your expectations.
   The fear of the unknown is very real in the workplace. By setting tangible, quantifiable, and realistic goals, you’re setting your team up for measured success. Deadlines and deliverables should be realistic, not moonshot ambitious.
3. Offer telecommuting and flexible hours.
   People have lives, families, children, pets, volunteer causes, religious activities, home improvement projects, and so much more – all outside of work. By being more flexible on when you need employees physically present in the office, you can alleviate a lot of burden, not to mention the benefits of lesser commutes.
4. Encourage breaks and physical activity.
   Even the most productive workers need time away from the computer or the jobsite. Schedule moments throughout the day for short periods of relaxation and rejuvenation. Take a walk, have a snack in the breakroom, or work on a small project unrelated to your daily tasks.
5. Encourage the use of paid time off.
   Employees earn and are entitled to paid time off. Make sure they use it. Let your team know that you support them taking vacations and holidays. Actions like burdening employees with work on their return or subtly suggesting they travel at a different time are stifling and should be avoided.
6. Provide opportunities for growth or advancement.
   Nobody likes a dead-end job with no hope of a pay raise or better position in the future. Make sure you create and share with your employees a pathway for advancement within the company. Enable training and skills enhancement opportunities to support your team on their journey.
7. Ask questions.
   Ask employees what they need, what you can do better, how you can help and support them, and what ideas they have for making the company run better or more efficiently. Providing an environment where employees can share feedback in-person or anonymously can help foster enthusiasm – as long as the feedback is taken to heart and acted upon.
8. Track the mood and overall mental health of the company.
   You don’t know what you don’t know. Leverage an app like Copilot to recognize challenges, trends, and issues affecting an organization’s team members, while providing mental health support through positive psychology tools, interactive content delivered via text, and access to a team of mental health professionals.

A happy, productive, and encouraging workplace is key to employee retention and the success of the business. Don’t leave your most valuable asset – your team members – stressed and looking for new employment elsewhere. Support them in any way you can to reduce office stress and promote wellbeing at work.