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Often, as employers, we don’t think about the personal
stress in employees lives as being detrimental to our businesses, but as stress
levels increase, employees may begin to have problems at work that go unnoticed
until its too late. If any of your
employees are experiencing symptoms that look like these, they may be dealing
with stress that is building to an unhealthy point.
Frequent Grievances: Stressed
employees have less ability to cope with irritations and problems. Grievances may be legitimate signs of
organizational problems, however stressed employees may feel more powerless to
evoke change and resort to complaining.
Absenteeism: Avoiding
problems at work by not being there is one way of dealing with stress. When stress goes unresolved it leads to
illness and physical problems. Absent
employees cost the company in productivity as well as increasing costs of
health care.
Accidents: Stress
causes a narrow focus, inability to concentrate and forgetfulness. Employees trying to maintain or increase
their productivity may take short cuts which can lead to accidents. Accidents lead to an increase in worker
compensation claims.
Judgment Errors: People
find it difficult to concentrate under stress and may be preoccupied by their
stressors. Not being fully engaged, they
can make errors in judgment that can be detrimental to their jobs and their
safety. Stress also has a dulling effect
on the thinking process which causes the person to miss environmental cues.
Conflict: Stressed
employees have few reserves to cope with interpersonal problems with co-workers
or supervisors. Conflicted relationships
at work can add to their own stress as well as the stress level of other employees. When people are concerned with their safety
and well being, their higher brain functions are impaired and they revert to
more self protective measures.
Customer Service: Stressed
and depleted employees virtually guarantee unhappy customers which affect the
bottom line of any business.
As employers, what can you do to help improve stress levels
at work?
EAP Programs: EAP
programs that provide counseling are an effective tool to move the employee
into the healing process.
Conflict Resolution: Training
in conflict resolution skills provides leadership with tools to mediate
conflicts successfully.
Positive Reinforcement:
Management styles can contribute to employee stress. Positive reinforcement has been shown to be
the most effective way to correct behavior while punishment is by far the least
effective.
Organizational Problems:
Employees who feel empowered and have some control over
their lives and their jobs will feel less stressed. Address any legitimate problems in the organization
and give employees a voice in those changes. This makes them a part of the
solution.
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