Charity workers can have it tough sometimes. We deal with some of the worst aspects of life – cruelty to animals, abused children, natural disasters and war. It would fair to say that a certain degree of resilience is required to have a successful career in the charity sector. But how has the recession affected charity workers' stress levels and what can we do about it?

We all know that charities have far less money than private companies, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that it was the third sector which took the biggest hit during the recession. With cuts happening left, right and centre in the sector, many charities have been forced make redundancies or cut the paid working hours of their employees in a desperate attempt to save funds.

The result of this is that charity workers are now more stressed than ever. As they are expected to ‘do more with less', pressure mounts on struggling fundraising teams to bring in the cash whilst workers panic over having less time to work through an endless 'to do' list and less money to support their families. Over time, this can have a serious detrimental impact on a person's stress levels and their productivity and commitment to their job may suffer as a result.

Making the decision to remain in a sector which often forces us to confront some uncomfortable truths about life can be dependent on a number of factors. Under the Duty of Care Act, employers do have a responsibility to provide adequate supervision and a safe working environment to support their staff, but what often goes unnoticed is the impact that our working relationships and productivity systems can have on our wellbeing at work.

The biggest reason people resign from their jobs is because they failed to get on with a superior and strife amongst colleagues can build up unbearable amounts of pressure in a charity which is already struggling financially.

So how can we create positive relationships at work and keep our productivity levels up when the chips are down?

Break the silence

Nobody likes working in a silo! Make sure there are systems in place which encourage communication and skills-sharing across different departments. At a time when more is expected from workers for less money, sharing skills and learning from each other can be a great way of building employee relations and ensuring that everyone can meet the demands of their jobs.

Celebrate small achievements

When money's tight and morale gets low, celebrate the little things – a fundraising bid completed, a letter of thanks from a beneficiary or a group of volunteers successfully trained!

Praise in public, criticise in private

There is nothing more off- putting than a senior staff member who degrades their staff in public. Some of the people who move across from the corporate sector to the charity sector seem to think they have an excuse to behave less professionally – this is not the case.

On the contrary, praise staff for hard efforts and worthwhile achievements in public – it spreads positive feelings and lets your team know which behaviours are rewarded. If you need to criticise someone, think about where to pass this on. It’ll have a much better effect if it’s not boomed across the office.

Talk about something other than work

We understand that not everyone wants to be best friends with their colleagues, but when things get stressful, there is a tendency to focus on the negative. Even Friday nights out at the pub can turn into moaning sessions. Try to talk about current affairs or life outside of work every now and then and you may stop yourself getting trapped in a negative cycle.

Put your foot down!

Sometimes we may have to work late, run through a presentation at the weekend or travel overnight unexpectedly and most workers are having to be more flexible these days. However, there is a limit and by drawing fair, personal boundaries you can guard your 'downtime' and ensure you remain at your productivity peak.

So what do you think? And which strategies does your organisation adopt when things get tough? Let us know in the comment box below.