In today’s world, employee peace of mind is a necessity in many workplaces. Every time we switch on the news, there is something else to be worried about – another terror attack, a natural disaster or a security breach – and it’s difficult to manage our anxieties when the threats from the outside world seem so imminent.
Your employees cannot do their best work when they are worried, so it’s vital that they feel at ease. You need to ease any worries and anxieties because not only is it distracting for them and harmful to their own health, but such distractions are also bad for business.
So, what can a business owner or manager do to help employees manage their worries? Here are three steps to help you achieve employee peace of mind in the workplace.
Identify sources of anxiety
It’s a good idea to hold regular brainstorming meetings where employees can share their anxieties or concerns. At first, this may not seem like a valuable use of your time, but the importance of your team feeling safe and secure at work should not be overestimated.
Your employees may also find it difficult to admit their fears initially. They may worry about appearing vulnerable or overly emotional, which is understandable in a professional environment. Try to put them at ease by starting the conversation. Tell them about a scenario that worries you, such as losing all your private data to a cyber hacker. You can then inform them of the company’s protocol to reduce the chance of this happening and minimize the impact if it does.
Reassure employees of existing safeguards
It may help to create a “safety pack” that informs workers of what to do in case of emergencies. Businesses are required by law to have fire safety procedures in place, and in some states, it’s even necessary to have earthquake survival kits on hand. Go one step further and prepare your business for crises like theft, burglary, terrorism, cyber breaches and natural disasters. It doesn’t matter how unlikely any of these events are. Just knowing that you have safeguards in place to prevent these things happening, or manage them if they do, will put your employees at ease.
Work on gaps in your safety procedures
As you start to respond to your employees’ anxieties and concerns, you will undoubtedly spot some gaps in your preparedness for certain events. Perhaps you could do with updating your firewalls against hackers, for example, or maybe the overall security of your physical premises could do with an upgrade.
Don’t forget, your employees spend 1/3 of their lives at work, so their physical safety and the security of their belongings should be prioritized; not to mention, your business will suffer a financial blow if you do get burgled, so you can never be too prepared. For high-quality burglar alarms and security systems, visit eurolinksecurity.co.uk.
Conclusion
As an employer, your leadership skills are invaluable when your employees are worried about their safety at work. The issue of personal safety in the workplace is something we all worry about from time to time, especially after a recent terror attack or a string of local burglaries, but it’s not always discussed. When helping your employees find peace of mind at work, it’s important to recognize their fears, reassure them of existing safeguards, and work continuously toward improving the security of your business.