If you are anything like us, you may have felt like the last year's events have felt like something out of a film. We’re facing unprecedented event following unprecedented event, what was once customary to us is long gone, and this new normal that we find ourselves adjusting to is sure to be around for some time to come.  

With businesses transitioning to the online world – where applicable – and with Londoners moving out of the city to be with their families throughout lockdown, it certainly seems like a different place than what we are used to, that is for sure.  

As we begin to emerge ever so gradually from the most recent lockdown, businesses may well be in the process of considering what they can do moving forward to prepare for the transition from home working to being back in the familiar office environment.  

Naturally, with a decision such as this comes many mixed emotions, both from yourself as a business owner, trickling down to the more junior members of staff. Trust us; we have all been there! It is an entirely normal and warranted response when in a situation like this.  

With this in mind, we have created this helpful blog post detailing some of the ways you can help reduce the worry that your employees might be experiencing and their workloads. No matter where in London you are based and your company's size, we are confident there is something of value here. 

Read on for more, and feel ready as a business owner to tackle these issues head-on!  

How to Reduce Worry and Anxiety in Your Employees 

On paper, this is something that seems easier said than done, particularly when attempting to establish and differentiate what exactly is causing these feelings in your employees. However, you must remain the level-headed business owner, for there are ways of doing just this, and that is where we are here to help!  

Before attempting to reduce the feelings of anxiety and worry that your employees have, you will need to go to square one to determine the cause of their emotions and whether there is anything you can do from the ground up to help.  

Within any industry, there are internal and external factors that could cause heightened worry levels, and these should certainly be considered when wanting to reduce and alleviate the ongoing feelings of worry.  

Some of the most common causes of worry, stress, and anxiety within the workplace include the likes of workplace tension, heavy workloads, long working hours, and job insecurity. As a business owner, there are things that you could implement within your company to assist in reassuring the employee concerning these causes.  

What's more, once you have addressed any heavy workloads, you would, in a roundabout way, be making proactive decisions in reducing the worry that your employees are feeling as well.  

So, on that note, let’s jump right into what you could do as a business owner to help reduce worry over these things. 

Reducing Workloads 

Another thing that seems easier said than done is an element of the working world that can be done with some strategic planning and implementation. While you may not possess the resources within your business to ease the heavy workloads that an employee might be experiencing, there are

services and resources available

from external companies that are worth considering when in this position. There are various options to consider when aiming to reduce the heavy workloads that your employees might be facing. Heavy workloads are not necessarily the fault of one specific person within a business and could result from various factors. This is something that needs to be remembered at all times. None more so than if you have discovered an employee is struggling with their workload. While bearing this in mind, one way that you could reduce the workload that someone in your company is struggling to manage is by implementing the use of external 

IT support in London

, provided by companies such as ourselves and many others. By outsourcing some of the jobs that you have within your business to professionals within their industries, you can alleviate the pressures of the workload for not only your employees but for yourself as well. Not to mention, it could even save you money in certain situations. Specifically, by ensuring that you have

adequate and secure IT networks

within your business, you are minimising the risks of anything happening to documents and information that is crucial to your company's everyday workings.

Different ways that you can work to reduce the workload of an employee can include such things as the following:  

  • High Levels of Communication: It goes without saying, but to get to the bottom of any emotion, there needs to be some sort of communication ongoing between involved parties. As much as we would like to be, we are not mind readers! By ensuring that you are engaging in regular contact with your employees, you can differentiate how they manage their workloads and other related aspects of their jobs. Doing something proactive like this will not only build up a level of rapport between you and your employee but will enable you to spot signs of burnout and overwhelmingness from workloads before they become too much to handle. Furthermore, engaging in conversation regularly will give you an idea of whether you will need to outsource any of the work that your employee might have. Once you have distinguished where your employee is struggling, you will be able to create a plan of action together to help them through this period. This leads us to the following point.  

  • Prioritise Projects as a Team: By making a list of the work that you have to complete as a team and distributing this based on strengths and weaknesses, you would not only be alleviating the feelings of stress that an employee may be experiencing but could also discover another way of working as a business. Listing projects based on their priority level and eliminating the prospect of multitasking to focus entirely on what is in front of you will further contribute to easing the worries your employee might face both generally and concerning their workload. While prioritising projects is essential when considering the ones you already have to hand, it can also be considered when onboarding new projects. One thing to note here is that you do not take on too much at once, more so if you have discovered that your employees are already struggling with emotions or workloads. As a business owner, you do not want to be adding to the emotions that your employees are feeling. After all, they are the ones who are crucial to the everyday workings of your business, so you want to make sure that they are looked after.  

While this is but a short insight into the things that you could do as a business owner when wanting to alleviate the stresses and worries that your employees might be experiencing, we hope that it has sparked some inspiration within you and that you can go forward knowing what you will be changing and adapting to help.  

We are confident that whatever you choose will make a difference to your workforce overall; we have faith in you!