Are you the manager of an overwhelmed workforce suffering from “burnout”? Are you struggling to find ways of alleviating the stress of your employees?
Well, Britain’s influential HR trade body may have the solution you’ve been looking for: a team walk at lunchtime.
The suggestion is included in new guidance issued by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) to 160,000 members, HR professionals who work in Britain’s biggest businesses.
The CIPD’s “managing stress at work” guide also warns bosses of the dangers of “presenteeism”, “working excessive hours” and “emailing employees outside working hours”.
In addition to recommending lunch-hour strolls and fresh air, the CIPD said leaders should promote “self-care and healthy habits”, including “relaxation techniques like yoga and mindfulness”.
The guide was issued after research from the CIPD and Simplyhealth found that UK employees took an average of 9.4 sick days last year, up from 5.8 in 2022. It identified mental ill health as the top cause of long-term absence.
Their survey found that 57 per cent of organisations now have a “wellbeing strategy”, up from 44 per cent in 2020, and found that such policies can reduce sickness absence and improve employee performance.
In spite of this context, the CIPD’s guidance is likely to draw ire from critics of the trade body, which has been accused of embracing policies that prioritise employee wellbeing over company performance.
The organisation has been forced to defend itself against accusations it prioritises “woke” causes, including those related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), over improving workforce productivity.
Tanya de Grunwald, host of the This Isn’t Working employment podcast, said the CIPD has “drifted away from its core purpose of serving its members and declares its purpose is to ‘champion better work, and working lives’”. She believes that “standards have collapsed across HR” in recent years.
David D’Souza, director of profession at the CIPD, said of the stress guidance: “The UK economy loses billions each year to stress-related absence and presenteeism, but when employees feel valued and supported, they perform better, stay longer, and often need less time off to manage health needs.”
How to avoid burnout in employees
The CIPD stress guide advises line managers on how to spot signs of “burnout”, which it defines as “a state of emotional, physical or mental exhaustion that is caused by experiencing prolonged stress”.
It warns that poor management is a “leading cause of stress in the workplace”. Tips for good management include “showing genuine care, compassion and kindness to team members” and listening to concerns, especially from staff who are working from home and so “may potentially feel disconnected”.
The guide warns bosses to be aware of employees’ “personal triggers for stress” and suggests “health and wellbeing” be put on the agenda of every team meeting.
The CIPD recommends that bosses “lead by example”, taking care of their own wellbeing, including by taking regular lunch breaks, using their full annual leave entitlement and making sure not to “struggle in to work” when ill in the name of “presenteeism”. They should also avoid “excessive hours”, checking in when on holiday and emailing employees outside of office hours.
If an email is sent out of working hours, leaders are advised to consider an email signature that states: “I work flexibly. If I’m sending this email outside of regular hours, it’s because it suits my work pattern just now and, importantly, I don’t expect you to read, respond or action it outside of your regular hours.”