Sharp Lends Support to National Stress Down Day

Mark Wilson, Managing Director of Sharp Consultancy said: “Given the economic crisis, National Stress Down Day couldn’t come at a more ideal time to raise awareness of the effects of stress in the workplace and the importance of taking better care of your staff and maintaining a healthy team spirit.”

He continued “As more and more companies have been forced to cut staff, the workload for some employees has significantly increased; so they often have to work more hours, with no breaks and with the added stress of an extremely heavy workload.

“This is why employers have to take responsibility now and ensure their team are well looked after. If they don’t, staff will become burned out and productivity will decrease, which will ultimately have a detrimental effect to the business.

“To ensure the workplace is as productive as possible companies should encourage their people to take a lunch break. This small step can be much more rewarding than a lot of businesses realise as giving staff the opportunity to recharge their batteries will ensure they return more enthused and efficient.

“In addition to this, small incentives or benefits will help keep staff happy and motivated. To help our people meet their targets we encourage competitions and winners are acknowledged and rewarded with small prizes such as a bottle of wine.

“We also have a reflexologist who comes in to the office once a month. This has proved hugely beneficial to our team members overall well-being and staff regularly look forward to the treatment.

“Furthermore, we give employees who have been a member of the team for two years or more an extra weeks holiday, which they can choose to use as a three week sabbatical if they wish. This has proven extremely rewarding for staff that have used it as they said that it helped to refresh them and stimulate their ambition.“

Sharp Consultancy also regularly hold team building events where staff are encouraged to interact and build stronger relationships with each other.

Mark commented: “Team building events don’t have to be big or expensive and they can be hugely effective in helping staff to build a better rapport with each other, which ultimately helps to boost team spirit and motivation levels.

“Your people are your most valued asset so it’s important to make sure they work well together. Taking the time to invest in their well-being will help to maintain a happy, hard working workforce, and this is essential to the overall success of any business.”