The financial rollercoaster our economy is on is not the fun kind. On the contrary, pretty much everyone is freaked out by it, and likely feeling a lot of stress. And that stress doesn’t stay all tied up in a neat little package – it affects every part of our lives, including how we feel and behave at work. According to the American Psychological Association, 76 percent of workers cite the state of their personal finances as a major cause of stress, and that translates to less work productivity and engagement.Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the financial crisis is that it feels completely out of our control. As employee communicators there isn’t much we can do to change that, but there may be some things we can say or do

(or not do) to help employees deal with the stress, refocus on things they can control, and feel better at work – and in general.Below are a few ideas to consider:Do

• Encourage leaders to show some humanity – Ask managers to check in with employees and listen. Simply asking, “How are you doing?” shows genuine interest and caring, and can make a big difference. Be sure to stress the importance of listening and not necessarily offering “fixes” – many times employees just want a sympathetic ear.

• Provide lots of recognition – During times of stress, it’s more important than ever to recognize employees and say thank you. This can and should happen in lots of different ways – an award given in a public forum, an executive email that highlights top performers, a shout out at a team meeting, or a personal note simply saying thank you are all excellent ways to recognize people. Recognition can make a big impact without costing a thing.

• Be transparent about your business – It’s not unusual that a certain amount of the financial stress people are feeling can be tied directly to their jobs. How is the mess on Wall Street affecting the company? Are cost-cutting measures or layoffs coming? While it might be tempting to shield employees from information about the state of your business, doing so can be even more worrisome and lead to rumors and speculation. Your employees are smart people, and they will know what’s going on. It’s almost always better to keep them informed along the way – don’t forget that they are your most powerful resource for driving business performance.

• Focus on positive health – Lots of stress often leads to negative health effects, so now is the perfect time to remind employees about your company’s health and benefit offerings or Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) resources. Or consider launching a program that offers resources for reducing stress and improving health, like a lunchtime walking club, healthy recipe sharing, or expert guest speakers.

• Empower employees – How about launching a program that asks for employees’ ideas about reducing expenses at work? It can be great for the company and can be as simple as recognizing a monthly winner with a small award.

Don’t

• Hide in your office – It’s human nature to hunker down during stressful times. But if you’re hoping to keep employees engaged at work, now is the time for communicators and leaders to be visible. Doing so shows others that business is moving forward, and that you are accessible if employees need you. As an added bonus, this is probably the best way to tune into employee sentiment – just walk around the office, water cooler, or cafeteria and keep your ears open.

• Say things like “I’m not getting a bonus either” – While it can be helpful to listen and empathize with employees’ concerns, sharing too much about your personal financial situation can be off-putting to others. This is especially true for senior leaders – don’t expect frontline employees to feel sorry for executive salary earners if they aren’t getting a huge bonus this year.

• Be artificially positive or insensitive – While remaining upbeat in your communications style can often be helpful, sprinkling too much pixie dust and acting like everything is wonderful (when it’s not) can turn employees off. Taking a realistic approach that is in line with employee sentiments is often best. Absolutely share the good news if you have it, but don’t fabricate the positive. And if you know an employee concern exists, try to address it head-on.

Any good roller coaster ride is filled with both highs and lows, so here’s to the next “up” for our economy, and “down” when it comes to stress levels. Hopefully the suggestions above will help you come up with ideas that can help you and your employees hang on until then!