April is Stress Awareness and Mental Health Wellness Month

April is known in the HR-world, as stress awareness and mental health wellness month, or more specifically, a time in which employers should recognize and address workforce stress and mental health-related issues. This is a crucial initiative in most organizations, given that over half of managers feel unprepared to lead employees who express that they are feeling stressed, or who have mental health-related issues. While April is a good time to come up with a plan to manage workplace stress and to implement preventative mental health wellness techniques, it is always a good idea to monitor these each and every day.

Workplace stress refers to the discomfort that comes with job-related demands, which results in tension when those demands exceed an employee’s psychological resources. Short-term work stress causes strain that long-term may negatively impact well-being causing greater mental health-related issues.

According to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2022 Work and Well-Being Study, 79% of employees surveyed experienced work-related stress in the month prior to the survey. This is nearly three in five workers reporting negative impacts, including exhaustion, cognitive fatigue, headaches, and heightened emotional reactions. Unfortunately, stress within the workplace may take a significant toll on an employee’s mental health, which leads to less productivity, procrastination, and the lack of creativity and satisfaction through things like the increased use of paid time off, specifically sick time. In the same American Psychological Association’s (APA) survey, It was found that stress will negatively impact an employee’s performance. Employee’s suffering from stress report lower productivity, irritability with coworkers and customers, lack of motivation to perform their best, and a strong desire to quit their jobs.  All of which don’t just harm employees, but also ultimately harm the organization. It is therefore important for managers to recognize the signs of employee stress and mental health-related issues and promote practices that help to alleviate stressors in the workplace.

There are several factors that may cause workplace stress, and sometimes they may work alone or they may work in tandem with each other. They include: increased job demands, poor work environments, poor work-life balance, and financial concerns. When an employee works long hours and experiences increased workloads, or feels that their demands exceed their capacity to cope, stress may become extremely problematic. Workplaces where there is poor lighting, uncomfortable office spaces, lack of technology, or a toxic workplace culture contribute to higher stress levels. When employees take work home with them in the evenings and on weekends, spending most of their time working, and neglecting their family and friends due to work demands, stress is abundant. And, employees may also feel stressed when they feel that they are not fairly compensated, or when their wages do not cover living expenses. In fact, low wages are one of the most significant contributors to workplace stress. Over time, these workplace stressors come with significant consequences and may lead to mental health-related issues to include: depression, anxiety, and substance and alcohol abuse, to name a few.

So, what should managers do to help relieve stress in the workplace and decrease mental health-related issues?  Managers could start by reviewing an employee’s workload and then assist them with managing their work tasks and time, and provide additional help when appropriate. Managers should also promote a healthy work-life balance with all employees by creating a culture where employees leave work on time, use their paid time off regularly, and are not expected to take work home after hours. Time away from work energizes employees so that they are better able to be productive when they return. Managers may also promote wellness in the workplace by encouraging employees to take breaks away from their workspace, or to take a walk, especially when work requires individuals to sit for long periods of time.  Also, providing meditation or yoga classes to encourage mindfulness, or exercise at lunch time to encourage a healthy work environment, are all good ways to promote wellness. Offering a discount to employees who attend a gym or fitness center is always a good benefit and promotes a healthy lifestyle. And last but not least, encouraging employees whose stress is no longer manageable to seek help from a professional, like a therapist or counselor, is always encouraged. Employers who offer an employee assistance program (EAP) may also make a mandatory referral to the EAP should the employee not see the need to seek professional assistance.

Workplace stress is the result of many factors, but more importantly, it is crucial for managers to engage with employees early and often so that the stress does not turn into a bigger mental health-related issue. A manager’s awareness and offering employees ways to address their stress not only promotes a healthy work environment, but also helps to prevent long-term mental health-related issues.

For additional information on workplace stress and mental health awareness, please contact us at www.newfocusrh.com.

Written by:

• Kristen Deutsch, M.B.A., CCP
  President
  04/13/2026