Office life is getting tense - lighten yours up

It's impossible at the moment to switch on the news without hearing about banks closing, mortgage houses collapsing and doom, doom and more gloom where money and the future is concerned.

This is bound to effect the attitude people have to work and employees can start to look around for safer bets. Staff turnover is always higher than any organisation would like but it's costly too. Now is the time to be motivating staff to feel happy and secure where they are and incentivising them to choose to stay put rather than be tempted elsewhere. But how can you do this without throwing more money at the situation? Remember, pay rises don't always get loyalty.

There are many great ways to make employees feel valued and wanted by an organisation and sometimes, it's easy to miss the point and just give a small pay rise or a change of job title. If you're looking for something that will cost you less but inject your business with a bit of buzz, why not try one or all of the following:

1. Wellness Program - a heath, fitness and relaxation program offered to staff is a great way of telling them you value their well being, you want them to be less stressed and you want them to have fun with their colleagues whilst achieving a great personal health goal they may have. Anything from yoga classes to relaxation sessions, running club to team football. These perks will always leave your staff feeling indulged and valued. Find out how to organise events like these for your teams.

2. Get Flexible - Work and Life work well together when they are balanced but when one demands too much at the cost of the other, the individual caught in the middle always suffers. Why not allow staff to work from home once a week with clearly set out targets and a lot of trust. This change can achieve staff loyalty in next to no time and is usually rewarded with hard work - not slacking. Review this each month so both parties know it is working.

3. Start Listening - personal Development Reviews are sometimes ignored by companies but it is the only official time that employees feel listened to so start doing them regularly and make sure issues and gripes get listened to an acknowledged. When employees leave companies, it is often because they feel like a number. Address that issue once and for all by being pro-active. You'll gain their respect.

Photograph by The Flooz (flickr)