9 Tips to structurally reduce your workload

Have you checked the workload within your organization and teams, and is it too heavy? Have you heard complaints on the work floor about the large amount of work? Or do you experience excessive workload yourself? Read here what you can do about it. 2DAYSMOOD lists 9 tips.

Work stress is occupational disease number one. The problem is actually progressing in three areas: employees are dropping out more often, they are dropping out at a younger age and lastly, the absence is more long-term. This according to figures from the Social Affairs Inspectorate (SZW). One major cause is the increasing workload. Therefore, reducing workload should prevent stress, burnout and loss amongst employees.

How can you reduce a heavy workload as an employer?

As an employer you can do various things to reduce the workload on your employees and change their experience of high work pressure. You can think of the following actions:

1. Provide clear job descriptions: with clear (written) descriptions of tasks and responsibilities employees know what is expected and how to plan their week (Arboportaal.nl).

2. Offer a sufficient level of autonomy: autonomy helps to reduce workload. Ensure that employees can determine themselves, where, how and when they do their work (as much as possible).

3. Encourage or facilitate education: it is important that knowledge and experience levels match with the duties and responsibilities of employees. Monitor this and offer extra training when necessary!

4. Create moments for recovery: ensure that there is a calmer period after a time of high pressure and stress (after big projects, strict deadlines or seasonal peaks). You could give your employees some extra time off in this quieter period. (Via 2DAYSMOOD you can continuously monitor whether the stress level actually drops after busy periods).

5. Stimulate personal leadership: the employee also has a responsibility to prevent or reduce workload. For example, by structuring and prioritizing tasks, and defining boundaries. An employer can offer courses in time management, set up a mentoring program or help employees develop their assertiveness (or personal leadership) with a coach.

How can you take on your own workload?

Reducing workload is a collaboration between employees and their employer

To structurally reduce the workload, good cooperation between employee and employer is essential. Marco de Zeeuw, advisor at Arbokiezer, comments on this to research agency Motivaction: “We see that many providers are committing to continuous monitoring of the health and wellbeing of staff. Through questionnaires, apps and access to preventive interventions, the awareness amongst employees is increased. This is fully in line with today’s vision: the employee is responsible for his or her own life, development and health, the employer facilitates this wherever he can. ”

The innovative realtime measuring method of 2DAYSMOOD also takes on this vision. Organizations make use of our anonymous 15 second survey to measure personal leadership for example, or monitor stress levels. Through this continuous insight you can discover where the workload is too high. With additional short feedback surveys (and face to face conversations on the work floor), you can immediately take action in the right areas. You are taking a step towards a healthy positive working climate!