Stress in the Work place [ New! ]

The United Nations' International Labor Organization indicates that 75 percent of American workers consider their jobs [ man on a computer ]stressful. Employees are having to comply with greatly increased demands in terms of both quantity and quality. The trend today is to hire fewer than adequate staff and work it to the max. The employer should be aware that extended stress is a cause of counterproductive activity in the work place.

It's no wonder that health problems among the American worker is on the rise.

    Stress has been implicated in heart disease, eating disorders, stroke, insomnia, ulcers, accident proneness, cancer, decreased immunity, chronic headaches, diabetes, depression, substance abuse and more. Estimates are that from 50 -- 80 percent of all physical disorders have stress-related origins. Source: 2001 American City Business Journals Inc.

While a certain amount of stress is good for a person and builds character, extended stress not only causes health problems, but reduced work performance in an individual. Everyone's job has periods of high stress as would be expected. However, extended periods of stress causes burnout in an individual. Employers should not use pay to compensate for a worker's stress. While the pay helps the symptoms of stress, the related problems still exist. Treat the cause and not the symptom.

What should employers do? Here are a few suggestions for employers on how to minimize a stressful work environment:
  • Make sure employees take time off to help break up the monotony.
  • Encourage employees to get together away from work to socialize.
  • Provide employees with fitness memberships to local gyms or spas.
  • Appoint someone to coordinate stress relieving activities every week or month.
  • Schedule a mandatory stress management seminar or stress-relief speaker.
  • Determine the source of your employees stress and, if possi[ man on telephone ]ble, correct or arrange a change to improve the situation.
  • Make sure your employees are doing the job best suited for them.
  • Delegate activities and provide your employees control over some projects.
  • Ensure employees are properly trained for each new project and are aware of what is expected from them.
The following are suggestions for employees to create a more mellow workplace:
  • Get to the office 15 minutes earlier every day, thus taking the "rush" out of the morning.
  • Don't trust your memory; write everything down.
  • Try not to over schedule yourself or your projects. Don't promise what you can't easily deliver.
  • Be realistic regarding your standards. Don't set them beyond your reach.
  • Maintain your humor. Even a disaster can be funny.
  • Plan "B" should always be ready.
  • Blow off steam. Get things off your chest.
  • Take some quiet time for meditation or deep breathing, particularly when you feel stress building.
  • Each evening or before you leave for the night, prioritize activities for the next day.
  • Establish deadlines for yourself and stick to them.
  • Before making or taking a phone call, ask yourself, "is this call really necessary?"
  • Eliminate or deflect drop-in visitors that waste your time.
  • Try to avoid rush hour by changing your work schedule.
  • Ask yourself, "can this job can be delegated to someone else?"
  • Don't always say "yes" to tasks thrown your way.
  • Decide if a meeting is really necessary. Are there alternate ways to distribute or collect information?
  • Try to see the other person's point of view. Listen and gain insight.
  • Stay positive. Focus on the resources you have, instead of those you lack.

Source: Dave Bowman, Human Resource Expert, Stress In The Workplace