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Stress in the WorkplaceCuyahoga County Health Alliance

Presented by:Swan Khanna-Salehi,

ease@work Clinical Manager

Some Statistics2

• 44% of Americans feel more stressed than they did 5 years ago

• 1 in 5 Americans report “Extreme Stress” – Shaking, Heart Palpitations,

Depression

• 56.3% of employees report stress has caused difficulty focusing on tasks

• Over 14% report missing days at work or being late due to stress

• 21% report stress has caused them to make errors or miss deadlines

• Stress-related ailments costs the nation $300 billion every year in medical

bills and lost productivity

• 75 -90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related illness/disease

• Stress is the basic cause of 60% of all human illness/disease

• 40% of stressed people overeat or eat unhealthy foods

• 44% of stressed people lose sleep every night

• Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer,

lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide

Sources: http://www.compsych.com/press-room/press-releases-2010/353-nov-22-2010; http://pyschcentral.com/lib/2007/how-does-stress-affect-

us/; http://apa.org/news/press/releases/phwa-survey-summary.pdf; "http://www.mastersdegreeonline.org/master-your-stress/

People report…3

Why it matters

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• Overall Employee Health – Insurance Costs

• Performance Management • Productivity Levels• Absenteeism• Presenteeism• Morale• Engagement• Focus

• Risk Management – Safety – Workplace Violence

• Substance Use/Abuse

Stress impacts…

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• Health Care: 82% of employers report health care costs are significantly or moderately affected by worker stress.

• Absenteeism: 70% of employers report significant or moderate affect

by worker stress.

• Workplace Safety:77% of employers cited significant or moderate impact from stress.

Source: “Stress in the Workplace,” Buck Consultants Survey, worldatwork.org.

Workplace issues highly affected by stress…

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What you can do

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• Be sure middle management is trained for awareness of performance issues; monitoring and regular interaction with employees

• Encourage use of your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Implement wellness programming that promotes overall wellness and teaches practical stress management techniques

• Review HR policies addressing flexibility, PTO, attendance, FMLA

What can you do?

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• 78% say the most common resource used to address stress is their EAP. EAPs help employees deal with personal problems that may negatively affect work performance and overall well-being.

• 46% offer work-life balance programs• 45% offer leadership training on worker stress• 45% offer on-site healthy lifestyle programs• 43% offer a fitness center• 38% offer physical activity programs• 35% have stress awareness campaigns• 30% offer financial management classes• 29% offer personal health/lifestyle management coaching

Source: “Stress in the Workplace,” Buck Consultants Survey, worldatwork.org.

What other organizations are doing to address workplace stress…

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A Natural Partnership

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Stress management and wellness initiatives go hand-in-hand.

When planning wellness programs, be sure to include some practical suggestions for stress management.

A recent study presented in Mental Health Works, Fourth Quarter 2012, offered the following suggestions for programming that can be implemented to teach employees how to care for the self in terms of stress reduction methods:

Stress Management Toolbox

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Cognitive Behavior Therapy An approach used to assist in changing negative thoughts, thus changing the emotional state. A study showed that burnout was related to irrational thinking and by disarming irrational beliefs, you can foster professional growth and decrease workplace stress.

Stress Management Toolbox

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Positive Psychology A relatively new field of psychology that teaches learned optimism. The idea is that a capacity for happiness and well-being can be cultivated through gratitude journaling.

Stress Management Toolbox

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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)An approach that promotes nonjudgmental awareness of moment-to-moment sensations, experiences and reactions. MBSR uses meditation techniques that promote relaxation and stress reduction.

Stress Management Toolbox

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The Relaxation ResponseAnother highly effective tool closely related to MBSR that reduces stress. The relaxation response is a state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress – decreases heart rate, blood pressure, rate of breathing and muscle tension.

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