Laura Capell-Abra
Founder, Stress Matters
To alleviate stress and support wellbeing in the workplace, businesses should take a strategic approach to the issue, listen to their employees’ concerns and take action.
A concerning 28% of UK employees left their jobs in 2021 or planned to leave in 2022, with 61% citing mental health as the reason, according to research by Deloitte earlier this year. Businesses are not listening and addressing challenges through an intersectional lens, and this is where Laura Capell-Abra, Founder of Stress Matters, a B Corp Certified business, believes there is the greatest opportunity.
Stress Matters monitors workplace wellbeing trends and will be publishing its next report on the topic in late October, sharing with us that inclusivity is a major focus for 2023.
Careful consideration of mental health
“Stress and mental health were big topics during the pandemic. But now, it’s as though some organisations think: ‘Right, that’s done.’ But it isn’t. Poor mental health in the workplace continues to be a real problem.” It’s why Capell-Abra’s business has launched a free diagnostic tool to help employers discover how effectively they are looking after the wellbeing of their staff.
It’s vital to gather insight from staff to discover the challenges individuals are facing and how they can be best supported.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to overcoming workplace stress because every industry, business and employee is different. “For example, some people’s mental wellbeing will be enhanced by remote working — but others find it stressful,” says Capell-Abra.
Importance of a strategic approach
All businesses should take a strategic approach to wellbeing, says Capell-Abra. “They should think of it like a sales and marketing strategy: put together a business case by learning insights to properly understand the issue and determine the right course of action.”
Capell-Abra’s three pillars for better workplace wellbeing are ‘insights, accountability and support.’
“It’s vital to gather insights from staff to discover the challenges individuals are facing and how they can be best supported,” she says.
“But there must be accountability on the part of the business, too, so changes can be put into action. A business has to understand what its benchmark is and have goals and objectives to measure its progress. That will make a real difference.”