Flexible Working Hours – The Key To Reducing Stress?

Reducing workplace stress should be a priority for all business managers, but it can be difficult to know just how to go about this. However, a new survey carried out by Cascade HR has found that the key to keeping stress levels in the office to a minimum could be as simple as offering your employees flexible working hours.

The study found that 47 per cent of employees feel that offering flexi-time could do a lot to reduce stress levels, while 39 per cent said finishing early on a Friday would have an impact and 38 per cent said a caring and friendly management style would also help keep stress at bay.

Focusing on the actual workplace could also pay dividends, with 35 per cent saying keeping the office clean and tidy would reduce stress, while nearly one in three would like to have music playing to stay stress-free.

“It is interesting to see that the measures that employers can take which have the most significant impact on reducing workplace stress are actually relatively achievable and inexpensive. Fancy water features and expensive mindfulness classes might be fashionable – but clearly, looking at the results of this research, it’s the simple things that employers should be considering first,” CEO at the company Oliver Shaw said.

Given previous research from Perkbox revealing that 35 per cent of people in the UK are unhappy in their jobs, making changes to your processes and procedures could certainly be a good idea.

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