Mental fatigue is a workplace health issue that doesn’t always receive the attention it deserves. However, it causes highly detrimental symptoms for both the employee and the company. Lack of concentration, loss of motivation, irritability, decreased performance, or even absenteeism are clear signs of a situation that, if not detected and addressed in time, can lead to chronic stress or burnout syndrome.. This, in turn, often translates into other mental health issues such as generalized anxiety or depression. Therefore, it is essential that each company, as responsible for the health and safety of its staff, takes different measures to prevent mental fatigue.
1. Respect the right to disconnect
It is essential to establish boundaries between personal and professional life. In other words, once the workday is over, the company should not force communication with employees nor expect them to be available during their free time.
2. Set reasonable working hours
Excessive overtime or a shift schedule that does not respect the minimum rest time between-shift periods are two of the main causes of physical and mental fatigue. In addition to preventing this, it is essential to ensure short breaks throughout the day that help staff recover and maintain their level of concentration.
3. Offer flexibility
Being able to work from home or having the option to choose working hours are two very effective ways to improve work-life balance, another common cause of stress and workplace fatigue.
4. Review the workload
Establish a fair and realistic distribution of tasks a fair and realistic distribution of tasks within the team is essential for safeguarding their mental health. In addition to avoiding work overload, it is necessary to reduce the pressure exerted on staff by management. Furthermore, offering clear and concise criteria regarding tasks, objectives, and priorities also helps reduce stress.
5. Value the staff
Recognize and reward good work of the team is key to ensuring that individuals feel valued. Likewise, involving them in decision-making regarding their roles and encouraging their professional development within the company will increase their motivation and commitment.
6. Regularly assess employee well-being
Promote open and smooth communication with the staff by allowing them to express their concerns in a safe and confidential environment is the best way to understand their mood. Additionally, conducting regular employee well-being surveys makes it easier to identify potential issues.
7. Offer training and counseling
It is advisable to provide the team with information about the symptoms and management of workplace stress, as well as implement health and well-being programs that offer guidelines on healthy habits at work or even psychological counseling if a problem is detected.
Grupo SPEC’s solutions can positively impact your company by facilitating communication with staff and enabling work shift planning fair, among other functions. If you need more information, contact our customer service team.
