The last quarter of the year, known as Q4, marks a crucial time for both individuals and enterprises. Just as many of us use this time to reflect on our personal goals and evaluate our achievements, organisations do the same with their annual objectives.
This final review often creates a challenging period for companies, especially for managers and HR departments, who face increasing pressure to meet the expectations set at the beginning of the year.
This intensified pressure can increase work-related stress in Q4 by impacting employees in the operational trenches and those in senior management.
In this context, the ability to manage this pressure appropriately is crucial, as it not only affects mental health at work, but can also influence an organisation’s ability to retain talent in companies effectively.
The impact of work-related stress in Q4
Companies often experience a significant increase in workload during Q4. This is due to the need to wrap up projects, meet aggressive targets, and finalise financial reports before the end of the year.
This increase in work demands can also lead to increased work stress in Q4, which, if not managed properly, can affect employees’ well-being and productivity.
In fact, according to APA studies, 44% of women and 31% of men experience work-related stress in Q4, which can lead to physical and mental health problems if not addressed appropriately. Companies must adopt effective strategies to manage work-related stress in Q4 and promote a healthy working environment.
Reducing work-related stress in Q4: How can enterprises provide support?
The last quarter of the year is a critical period when workload tends to increase, triggering symptoms of stress at all levels of the organisation. In this sense, leaders and managers play a key role, as companies must implement effective strategies to minimise work-related stress in Q4 and promote solid well-being at work.
If this is not done, the consequences are clear: the pressure to meet annual targets can affect both employees and managers, compromising mental health at work and, therefore, talent retention in companies.
Here are some business strategies that can be implemented to avoid this catastrophic scenario:
Establish a work-life balance
Promoting an environment where employees can set healthy boundaries is vital. Encouraging a culture of respect for personal time and reducing unnecessary overtime can improve overall well-being.
Implement flexible working arrangements
Adapting hybrid or remote working arrangements can ease the burden of commuting and provide a necessary change of environment. This not only reduces work-related stress in Q4 but can also increase productivity.
Planning ahead
Planning annual activities well in advance allows teams to meet their objectives more relaxed. Avoiding the last-minute backlog of tasks is crucial to reducing anxiety and stress.
Set reasonable goals
Setting achievable goals for the coming year is important, considering both professional development and personal fulfilment. This ensures that goals are pragmatic and balanced.
Celebrate the year’s achievements
Organising a year-end event to recognise employees’ achievements can reinforce a sense of belonging and motivation. These events should include recognition, prize draws and group activities that strengthen team cohesion.
“Our value “We Trust in Trust” is based on several fundamental pillars. Moreover, leaders strive to provide an environment of support, trust, and professional development, offering constructive feedback and opportunities for growth.”
– Lisa Porres, Chief People Officer at Spotahome.
Encourage open communication
Creating an environment of psychological safety, where employees feel safe to express their concerns, is essential to identify and address sources of stress. This not only improves mental health at work, but also strengthens the relationship between employees and management.
Implementing well-being solutions
Establishing well-being programmes that include physical activities, stress management workshops and access to mental health services can be very effective. Providing a supportive environment can significantly improve the work environment.
Strategies to manage stress
Companies can also encourage their employees to adopt personal strategies to manage work-related stress in Q4. These techniques, although personal, can be promoted through organisational workshops or seminars for employees and managers by well-being experts such as ifeel psychologists:
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Delegate responsibilities | Distribute tasks among the team and consider hiring interns or temporary staff to ease the workload during the fourth quarter. |
| Automation | Use technology tools to automate repetitive tasks and set up automated responses to frequent emails and queries. |
| Prioritise | Identify and focus on critical, revenue-generating tasks, postponing less urgent ones until after the holidays. |
| Set boundaries | Define clear work schedules and limit out-of-hours time to reduce work-related stress in Q4. |
| Take care of yourself | Maintain healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, eating right, and taking breaks to improve resilience against work-related stress in Q4. |
| Foster social support | Cultivate relationships with colleagues and friends who can offer emotional support, helping to mitigate work pressure. |
By implementing these strategies, companies improve the mental health of their work teams and ensure a healthier and more collaborative working environment, crucial for closing the year successfully and starting the new one with renewed energy.
The Leadership Lens![🔎]()
Leaders can guide their teams towards optimal well-being in the face of work-related stress in Q4 by implementing effective strategies. Self-care should be a priority; encourage you and your team to make time for personal activities.
Remember to ask for support when you need it and take advantage of your company’s mental well-being solutions. These provide ongoing support and stimulate professional and personal development, allowing you to build an environment of trust and growth.
In addition, practice task delegation to balance the workload, allowing each member to contribute their best. Don’t underestimate the value of reflective spaces; these moments of pause can be essential to innovation and making good decisions. As a leader, focusing on well-being not only reduces work stress at the end of the year but also strengthens the work culture, ensuring a more productive and healthy year-end for everyone.
We encourage you to download our resource on caring for leaders’ mental health, which will provide your leadership team with essential tools for their well-being.
Trust the leaders in mental well-being
At ifeel, we know that work-related stress in Q4 is a common challenge for many organisations, but with the right strategies, it is possible to mitigate it and promote optimal well-being at work to ensure a successful transition into the new year.
To support companies in this process, our team of expert workplace well-being psychologists has created a mental well-being solution for businesses that improves talent retention, reduces presenteeism, and combats employee stress.
With our mental well-being solution, your company’s HR managers can receive personalised, data-driven advice on improving mental health at work. In addition, this solution offers employees a 360° mental well-being service structured at different levels according to their needs. Try our solution now to see how it could help you.
We hope you found this article on work-related stress in Q4 interesting. If you would like more information about our mental well-being solution for companies, simply request it, and we will contact your team as soon as possible.