6 Workplace Issues to Address for Increased Production at Your Startup
Many workplace issues can slow business and productivity. Yet you can avoid some of the biggest problems for any startup by addressing this head-on ASAP.
In recent years, mental health issues and work-related stress have become recognized as the biggest contributors to employee absence. And employee absence means less work gets done, and business suffers. Therefore reducing absenteeism in the workplace due to stress becomes a vital issue.
First, it is helpful if you consider and understand mental health issues. Yet you can reduce the problems associated by offering guidance and support with a trained on-site counselor. Reducing workloads and limiting hours will also help with stress.
Managerial Bullying
A poll by one of the world’s largest recruitment agencies found that over 50% of respondents claim to have been harassed or bullied by a supervisor or manager. No one should have to come to work in fear of being victimized, let alone by their boss.
An employee who fears coming to your business is likely to make excuses for absence or leave altogether. This will come at a high cost to your company. And liability is also a cause for concern should there be damages. Therefore, a zero-tolerance approach to harassment should be enforced at all levels.
Employees with Care Responsibilities
It’s a challenge to find someone who doesn’t have some degree of familial responsibility outside of work. Children and the elderly are the most common.
But there may also be relatives and friends that rely on an employee for support. In many cases, outside responsibilities can be misaligned with work commitments, causing an employee to miss work or become stressed.
With a duty of care for all employees, offering support would be highly beneficial. Aid could be financial if required, help with costs, or an on-site daycare facility at your company.
EXTRA: Quick Tips for Reducing Burnout
Burnout has become a common reason for decreased productivity at work. Burnout usually occurs when an employee has too much to do and the demands are too great. This leads to lost sleep, anxiety, and taking a long time to do simple tasks. But you can help employees:
- Define clear goals for your employee to work towards.
- Assign tasks evenly and according to abilities.
- Create a reasonable timeline for teams to complete projects.
- Encourage healthy habits such as exercise and hydration.
- Assess stress levels and performance at stages.
Not addressing burnout can have severe health consequences for your employees. Your duty of care extends beyond on-site health and safety laws as an employer. And the well-being of your valued team members should be a top priority. So, be open to employees who need help.
Seasonal Illnesses (like flu) and COVID-19
Pretty much everyone gets sick at some point. And many employees will get sick at specific times of the year. Cold and flu seasons are often the worst times.
During these seasons, staff absence or production can decrease significantly. However, you can reduce this time by encouraging healthy habits among staff.
Hand-washing and staying apart will help reduce the infection rate of flu. And with COVID-19 still lingering, getting employees to do this shouldn’t be an issue. Flu can be debilitating, so offer sincerity if someone calls in sick with a cold.
Resolve Many Workplace Issues with Rewards
Constant work and a feeling of being underappreciated will cause a lack of motivation in your employees. Some argue that hard work is its own reward. But most people don’t think like that.
Especially team members who work excessively hard with unique skills and talents to make your business a success. One of the simplest and most effective ways to keep staff motivated is to offer rewards for a job well done.
Cash bonuses, expensive items, or paid time off are standard rewards at many large companies, such as in the banking sector.
Hire the Right People in the First Place
Replacing a skilled employee is very expensive. Not just in terms of money but time and resources as well. Constantly having to look for someone to fill a role will ve a drain on your company.
But you can all but prevent this by taking the extra time to find the right person for the job in the first instance. Therefore, it’s best to extend the interview phase.
Assessing skills is a part of it. However, you should also gauge whether someone will be a good fit for your company regarding a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and company culture alignment.
No company is immune to workplace issues that arise once in a while. Production is slowed by such things as mental health and stress, outside commitments, and managerial bullying.
