Top 10 ways to deal with stress in the workplace

Amid all of the chaos with COVID19, elections, remote schooling, masks, racial inequity, empty sports stadiums and anything else I missed, it is no wonder that most of us (and likely all of us) are feeling a level of stress above and beyond normal.

When it comes to the workplace, stressors are starting to show their effects on many levels. Running an HR outsourcing company allows us to see inside companies across the country. Over time we can identify trends that are not specific to any demographic group, geography or industry.

Lately, we have experienced an influx of clients calling with an abundance of employee relations concerns: applicants are lashing out if not called back for an interview, tempers are flaring among employees and managers and, frankly, people in the workplace seem like they are simply worn out.

This is not surprising. But it is a relatively new phenomenon to have the entire population in some form of distress. It is a time when management and HR must be able to find ways to give some breathing room to their teams.

There are numerous ways to do this. As my way of relieving some stress for all of you, here are my top 10 recommendations for workplaces in the Lehigh Valley and beyond:

1. Give your team some watercooler time, especially if they are working remotely. People still need social connection and chatting with co-workers might be just the moment they need to breathe a little and allow them to refresh so they can focus on their work. We have incorporated a five to 15 minute morning huddle to share any business-related information in small group Zoom calls, but we start with the first five to 10 minutes as agenda-free chatting time.

2. Have your managers and co-workers send out compliments on special accomplishments through your web portal, memos, emails and so on. We call them “Wows.” It only takes a moment and can change the perspective of someone having a bad day. Employees, you can do this for worthy managers, too.

3. Talk to your Employee Assistance Program, if you have one. An EAP is an inexpensive (and sometimes free) service often coupled with your health benefits that offers all types of free counseling to employees. EAPs can even give advice to employers dealing with employee issues. It is the least used benefit at the companies we serve and yet offers such valuable services.

4. Encourage physical fitness such as walks at lunch or, for remote staff, a walk-and-talk while on a conference call. You can do this for any level of conversation: employee-to-employee all the way to CEO-to-employee. It can be a gamechanger. Also, get people outside and away from a screen for a bit.

5. Meditation is powerful. We had weekly meditation classes before work every Friday. It encouraged people to become centered and mindful. You can find free 15-30-minute meditations on YouTube to bring relaxation and focus to your workday any time you need it.

6. If at all possible, consider not working yourself or your employees beyond the 40-hour workweek or, at minimum, cutting back on overtime. During this pandemic, most employees have needed to dedicate

more time to their family and personal needs, which is draining their energy. Consider hiring more staff and cutting back on OT. At our company, no one works more than 40 hours per week. Period. It is not easy, but we receive 1000s of applicants every time we have an opening and it is our employees’ favorite benefit.

7. If you normally would have some fun events like summer picnics that have had to be canceled, consider having some remote fun. For Lehigh Valley organizations, ArtsQuest offers all kinds of art and music events that are easy to make a remote fun activity around after hours or during a lunch break. Airbnb also offers remote “experience” offerings for all ages. We recently had a caricature drawing class that was a blast. Some staff had their children do one, too.

8. For employees dealing with remote schooling or day cares that are closed, there is relief. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons.

9. Consider going easy on employees, managers and partners who are acting out of character in a negative way. When possible, take a moment to look at the situation and the person and try to understand what they might be going through. No one is immune to being overwhelmed at this time.

10. Finally, while it may seem corny, be kind. Make a commitment to be kind to others. Put out good energy rather than focusing on the negative aspects of all that is happening around us. The more people who practice kindness, the better for all of us.

Tina Hamilton is president and CEO of myHR Partner Inc., a Lehigh Valley human resources outsourcing firm that manages HR for clients in 26 states. She can be reached at tina@myhrpartnerinc.com.