Maintaining Employee Productivity Through Difficult Times

Employee productivity is important to the success of any business. Yet productivity can be negatively impacted if an employee is feeling stressed about issues that are occurring in their lives either on -- the ambiguity of changes at work -- or off - the illness of a loved one -- the job. That's why a good manager along with strong employer support can be invaluable in helping an employee deal with difficulties and maintain productivity.

So how can you, as a supervisor, provide your team with the type of support they need? Here are some helpful tips:

Be observant. Get to know your staff well enough to be able to pick up on subtle changes in their moods or behavior.

Be compassionate. Offer your support; however, understand if it isn't immediately welcome.

Be open. Provide a safe harbor. Even if an employee is not immediately receptive to your inquiries, leave the door open for them to come to you.

Be knowledgeable. Know what options are available to employees who need assistance for difficult work and/or home situations. Understand or know where to get information on available benefits or programs.

Be prepared. This is the toughest part of all. If productivity declines or if other performance issues develop, your role as a leader is to deal with the situation in an effective, professional manner. Left unattended, it could fester and impact the morale and productivity of the rest of the team.

While supervisory support is an important part of maintaining employee productivity, strong employer support is equally important. Though benefits and programs available to employees will vary from employer to employer, here are some ideas your organization might want to consider:

Time off. Time off programs are more the norm these days, however, they vary in form from vacation and sick leave pay to paid or unpaid leaves of absence and bereavement pay. Depending on the employee's issue, time off may be an appropriate method of dealing with declining productivity.

EAP. An Employee Assistance Program is designed to work with employees to identify, manage, and resolve problems associated with difficulties that impact their personal and work life as well as productivity.

Work/Life Balance. Sometimes employees find themselves trying to seamlessly integrate their home and work lives with little success. Programs that employers can make available that may help improve worker productivity include flextime, job sharing, part-time employment, telecommuting, or alternative work schedules.

Benefit Plans. Sometimes employers offer a variety of benefit plans that may provide just the right kind of coverage to help out in a difficult situation. Medical insurance plans may cover certain useful services - counseling if no EAP is available - or perhaps the company offers a 401k with loan options for financial hardships.

Extras. These include some of the more unusual approaches to providing a reduced-stress work environment such as gym membership where employees can "work out" their frustrations, on-site massage therapy, and brown bag lunches where speakers can discuss a variety of topics including stress, time management and the importance of productivity.

Whatever actions you take as a manager or employer, it is important to understand the very real impact of work/life issues on employee productivity and to consider the best ways to maintain employee productivity through difficult times.