Stress Less, Achieve More: The Power of Workplace Mediation

In fast paced workplaces, stress has become pervasive.  While a moderate level of stress can be motivating, excessive stress, particularly over a long period of time can impact productivity, erode morale, and lead to health issues.  HR teams are dealing with these challenges when they’re often suffering themselves.  Workplace mediation can support HR teams and companies with a solution to mitigate conflict and stress. In this blog we explore how stress impacts the workplace and how mediation can create a healthier, more harmonious workplace. By understanding and addressing workplace stress through mediation, companies can improve employee well-being and increase performance.

Understanding workplace stress

Workplace stress is the physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a mismatch between the demands of a job and the tools and resources available to meet those demands.  It’s been common practice to reward high performers with more work which leads to workplace stress and burn out.  We see employees taking time off work or worse still, leaving with no role to go to and an impact on their physical and mental health.

Stress in the workplace can be caused by:

·         Excessive, overwhelming workloads, often with unrealistic deadlines. 

·         Tension between colleagues creating interpersonal conflict and a toxic work environment.

·         Lack of work life balance leading to burnout and stress.

·         Job insecurity, with fear of redundancy and job loss significantly contributing to stress levels. 

The impact on employees

When an employee is stressed, we can expect to see reduced job satisfaction, decreased productivity, and an impact to their health and wellbeing.  Companies should expect to see an increase in attrition, higher levels of absenteeism and a dip in productivity.   It is important to note that if an employee is impacted by stress at work, it can also have a knock-on effect to other team members. 

To ensure you have a harmonious and productive work environment we would encourage putting mechanisms in place to tackle workplace stress.  This helps to improve employee wellbeing and mental health, increase productivity and reduce absenteeism and attrition, leading to a happier and engaged work force. 

How workplace mediation can help

Workplace mediation focusses on collaborative problem-solving and finding a mutually acceptable resolution.  It is a confidential, voluntary process where a third party, impartial mediator helps parties to communicate clearly and respectfully and unlike many HR processes, the emphasis is on finding a mutually acceptable resolution.   

Workplace mediation can address stress by tackling one of its root causes; interpersonal conflict.  This is done by facilitating an open dialogue, empowering employees to take control of the situation by involving them in the resolution reducing feelings of helplessness and stress and by promoting a culture of understanding, making it easier for employees to collaborate with one another.   

A recent article by People Management magazine, cited workplace conflict to be growing in 2024 and the recommended call to action for employers suggesting ‘Employers should think about building facilitated conversations into their processes of dealing with conflict, allowing employees to have conversations with each other, facilitated by a neutral third party. This won’t always be the right solution, but it may stop the small things becoming big.’

Encouraging the use of mediation as a first step to conflict resolution shows employees you are supportive, that you have a supportive culture and you value open communication, respect and mutual problem solving. 

Let’s step towards a healthier workplace

The impact of stress in the workplace is far-reaching, affecting not only the health and well-being of employees but also the overall productivity and success of companies. Workplace mediation offers a proactive, effective method for addressing and reducing this stress by resolving conflicts at their root. By implementing workplace mediation as a strategy to combat conflict, you can create a more harmonious, supportive work environment where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to support at their best.

If you are ready to take the next step towards a healthier, more productive workplace and would like to consider exploring workplace mediation as a key strategy to resolving conflict, let’s talk.