Tech Trends e-Newsletter

Under Pressure

Employee stress can kill your company’s productivity and profits. Here are some strategies to keep it under control.

Stress, as nearly everyone knows these days, can be a killer. When not dealt with properly, it can lead to everything from headaches, an upset stomach, and insomnia to, on a more serious level, chronic colds and infections, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even forms of cancer.

While that may seem like bad news, it only gets worse when you consider the effect that employee stress has on companies. According to a study by the Northwestern Life Insurance firm, seven out of every 10 U.S. workers say that job stress causes frequent health problems and makes them less productive. Forty-six percent of the study’s respondents reported their job was very stressful, 34 percent had thought of quitting their jobs, and 14 percent actually left because of stress. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that workers who must take time off work because of stress, anxiety, or a related disorder will be off the job for about 20 days. And the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine notes that health care expenditures are nearly 50 percent greater for workers who report high levels of stress.

In short, it’s a big problem—and one that goes straight to your bottom line. What can you do about it?

Signals and sources

First, it pays to understand a little about stress and its role in the body. Stress is actually a deep-seated human survival mechanism; a tense situation triggers the stress response, which prepares us to confront or flee a possible danger. Stress also can be divided into two basic categories: acute and chronic. Acute stress prepares to fight-or-flee response, and is generally short term (a few hours or, in some situations, a few weeks). In contrast, chronic stress lasts much longer, and is the culprit behind stress-related health problems.

What are some warning signals that employees are suffering from chronic stress? Good question. It’s not always easy to see the signs, as each person is different and will react to stressors in a unique way. That said, you can start with the two classic symptoms: absenteeism and diminished productivity. Beyond those, employees with chronic stress can be depressed or moody. They may have low energy, show increased aggression, display quick tempers, and be prone to a greater-than-normal amount of errors.

As for what causes stress in the workplace, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, the federal agency responsible for research and recommendations for the prevention of work-related illness and injury prevention) has outlined a number of working conditions that can lead to chronic stress problems:

Task design—heavy workloads, infrequent rest breaks, and long hours
Management issues—poor communication in the organization and a lack of family-friendly policies
Interpersonal relationships—an unsupportive social environment
Work roles—conflicting or uncertain job expectations, too much responsibility
Career concerns—job insecurity, lack of opportunity for advancement or promotion
Environmental/physical conditions—crowding, noise, air pollution, or ergonomic problems.

Prevention

NIOSH defines a “healthy organization” as one with low rates of illness, injury, and disability in its workforce and which is also competitive in the marketplace. The agency also notes that such companies usually share some combination of these characteristics:

Recognition of employees for good work performance
Opportunities for career development
An organizational culture that values the individual worker
Management actions that are consistent with organizational values.

So, with all that in mind, here are some ways to de-stress your workplace and help build a physically—and fiscally—healthy company:

Provide options such as flex-time, telecommuting, and child care services, which can all help employees find a balance between their work and personal lives.
Hold stress-management workshops and seminars for employees.
Provide access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which offer confidential, short-term, counseling services that can help employees cope with stressors. By some estimates, nearly half of all large U.S. companies now provide some type of stress-management training and EAPs for their workforces.
Set realistic goals and priorities for employees.
Encourage effective time-management techniques. Feeling rushed and playing catch-up are major sources of stress.
Allow employees to feel included in the company’s decision-making processes. Doing so can make them feel that their participation and insights are valuable to the operation.
Take time to listen to employee concerns. Again, the key is to make employees feel that they are valuable parts of the organization.
Display fairness—employees who perceive their managers to be fair and evenhanded will be less stressed.
Offer skill-based training opportunities for employees and, if possible, help them see that their current position has career potential.
Persuade employees to get into a wellness program, whether personal or company-sponsored. This could involve joining an exercise program, eating right, and avoiding unhealthy activities.

Tech Trends e-Newsletter

Under Pressure

Signals and sources

Prevention

Further reading