STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING ORGANIZATIONAL & EMPLOYEE STRESS

ProblemToday’s environment is saturated with stress. We work in a culture that rewards efficiency and productivity, and the pressure to perform has increased dramatically with the growth of sophisticated technology. The current economic crisis and subsequent influx of job losses has caused many of us to experience uncertainty and fear that we too may be faced with unemployment with no clear options in sight. And this is just the beginning. When you factor in the daily stress we experience with our family, friends, and co workers, it’s no wonder so many people feel run down.These stressors can take a terrible toll on the body, such as increasing hormones that cause weight gain, sleepless nights, and depression to name a few. To make matters worse, our culture is one of “quick fixes” – we often turn to fast food, alcohol, tobacco, and prescription medications to help us deal with the pressures of the day. Such solutions only make our bodies and minds more vulnerable to the effects of stress.Not surprisingly, the effects of stress can spill over into our workplace. Research shows that stress can cause a severe drop in employee morale, health, and productivity – which can place your organization in its own financial crisis. In fact, stress has been estimated to costs U.S. businesses more than $300 billion annually, which has doubled in a little over 10 years. SolutionA recent Gallup Poll concluded that while 80 percent of workers admit that they are stressed in the workplace, 50 percent reported they would like to receive education on how to better manage their stress. As an employer, you have the opportunity to provide education about ways to reduce stress for your employees, which will help your workforce engage and improve the quality of their work – and their lives.

Economics of StressWith 80 percent of people reporting that they experience work-related stress, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the cost burden of stress on employers is one of the greatest. In fact, the cost burden associated with depression, anxiety and emotional disorders is among the greatest of any disease conditions in the workplace.1Job stress is estimated to cost companies approximately $300 billion annually, due to absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover, and accidents, as well as medical, legal, and insurance costs. The costs of stress break down in the following ways:• Absenteeism: The National Safety Council estimates that one million employees are absent on an average workday as a result of stress-related problems.• Turnover: 40 percent of employee turnover is due to job stress. It costs a company approximately $13,000 to replace the average employee.• Accidents: 60 to 80 percent of worksite accidents are stress-related.• Legal Battles: Workers compensation awards for job stress have increased significantly in the last two decades, with double digit increases in premiums. 9 out of 10 stress suits are successful, with an average payout more than four times than for regular injury claims.

Stress in the Workplace: The Problem for EmployeesIn addition to the global factors of technology, the financial crisis and our culture of quick fixes, there are worksite-specific factors that greatly contribute to employee stress. Stop for a moment and consider whether your employees are at a greater stress risk due to the following:• Physical danger: Some jobs are naturally more stressful than others. Police officers, firemen, construction workers and welders are all examples of employees who experience a high risk of physical danger while performing their duties. • Demanding customers: Whether you are managing wait staff or a department of account executives, testy customers who are highly demanding can greatly contribute to the stress of your workforce.• Lack of training: If an employee is not well-trained for his or her position, the likelihood of experiencing stress greatly increases, due to lack of preparation to handle certain task requirements.

• Time constraints: Journalists who have tight deadlines and health care professionals have tight windows of opportunity and often deal with highly stressful working conditions, as do those who must work long shifts or take their work home with them at night.• Office politics: According to a 2007 study in the UK, 44 percent of managers surveyed believed that an increase in political tension in the workplace has contributed to an increase in workplace conflict, thereby leading to an increase in employee stress.3• Poor management: Managers can also greatly contribute to employee stress – especially those who lack strong communication skills or who fail at providing support to employees who don’t feel able to cope with their workload or experience conflicts with coworkers.• Unexpected Changes: Employees can also experience stress due to unexpected changes. Such changes might be due to organizational restructuring, an increase in workload, loss of resources such as employee layoffs, and, as we have all experienced, those personal and family issues that tend to crop up and distract employees from maintaining focus on their daily tasks.

Understanding StressIn order to help your employees maintain the best health, it’s important to have an understanding of how these situations and events are affecting your workforce and their bodies, as well as your own. When you know how to identify and manage your own stress, you will not only be able to help educate your employees on stress management, but also serve as a leader by example.What is Stress?Our bodies are hardwired to recognize stress as a signal for danger. This means that when we perceive a threat, our bodies quickly release stress hormones that increase our heart rate, breathing, and energy to respond, adapt, and recover. While this reaction was helpful 2,000 years ago, we’re no longer threatened by predators like lions and bears today. Unfortunately, our minds and bodies can be fooled because of our prehistoric, “fight-or-flight” system. Job deadlines may feel just as dangerous and overwhelming as encountering a hungry cougar in our den.Types of Stress:Short-term stress (or acute stress) is useful when we need that extra push to work hard, complete a difficult physical task, and escape from danger. However, when it stays on for too long, our bodies and minds can suffer. When this happens, short-term stress transitions into long-term stress.Long-term stress (or chronic stress) kicks in when the perceived stressor does not resolve or we can’t escape it. Long-term stress can place your physical health at risk, as commonly found with heart disease, as well as your emotional health, such as anxiety and depression. In fact, a 2007 UK study found that men reporting high stress on the job were more than twice as likely to suffer depression as those who had a lower level of stress in their jobs.4 These stress-related conditions can severely affect employee productivity, quality of life, and your bottom line.

Tackling StressTo effectively manage stress, it’s helpful to first assess how stress is affecting your body, mind, or both. This can help you choose specific stress management strategies for quick and effective relief.

BodyBody checks allow you to identify any tension your body is harboring. One way to find out is to lie down in a comfortable position and bring your full attention to your body as a whole. This will allow you to check in with how your body feels and what part – toes, knees, stomach, shoulders, or head – might be achy, stiff, or sore. If you find that you are harboring bodily stress, deep breathing is a simple and quick way to get relief. Taking a moment to slow down and regulate your breathing is one of the most effective ways you can regain control of stress. The great news is that you can do deep breathing anywhere!Another proven strategy for body stress is progressive muscle relaxation. This activity involves a series of muscle tensing and releasing actions, each lasting about 8 – 10 seconds. Many people combine this activity with deep breathing, by inhaling when you tense a muscle group and then exhaling when you release that muscle group.

MindIf you feel stress might be affecting your mind, it may help to do a mind check. Mind checks allow you to assess if you’re having difficulty concentrating, problem solving, remembering things, or just staying present. One good strategy for de-stressing a stressed mind (as well as body) is aerobic exercise. Research shows that aerobic exercise in as little as 20 minutes can significantly improve our memory and problem solving skills!

Another proven strategy for mind stress is mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness or self-awareness training has been clinically shown to be effective for the management of stress, anxiety, depression, emotional reactivity and many medical and mental health related conditions. With mindfulness meditation, you act as an impartial observer to the sounds, images, ideas and feelings you are experiencing, and welcome them, by sitting quietly and observing and by becoming completely present to the moment.

Mind and BodyIf you find that stress is affecting both your mind and body, in addition to the strategies mentioned above, you can try Pilates and Yoga; in fact, you can practice some of these exercises right at your desk.

Employer StrategiesNow that you have an understanding of what stress is and simple ways to diagnose stress, let’s look at some worksite-specific strategies you can implement to ensure a healthier workforce.

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Individuals who are better informed about the causes of stress will be better equipped to tackle stress on a daily basis. Staff education equips your employees with the tools they need.• Offer a comprehensive wellness program. A comprehensive program that addresses stress at the mental, emotional, and physical levels can assist you in teaching and supporting your employees how to better manage their stress. The best programs will not only teach the “what” and “why” but also the “how,” offering practical solutions for making the daily decisions necessary to support a healthier lifestyle. • Provide internal workshops. Give your employees the chance to experience hands-on stress management. Set up a time to walk employees through simple strategies such as deep breathing and mindfulness meditation – these are techniques that anyone can teach with a bit of training.• Host onsite classes. Work with outside contractors and host classes onsite, whether it be a stress management 101 class, ergonomics instruction, or a full Pilates or yoga class. Some organizations even like to offer free 10-minute chair massages to their employees.

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If employees are taking care of their physical health, they will have a greater capacity to the stresses that crop up every day in the workplace. Encouraging exercise and other physical activity is one of the best things you can do to alleviate both short-term and long-term stress in your organization, so make sure you are providing the kind of worksite environment which encourages these behaviors. Exercise can make a huge difference in a person’s memory, ability to concentrate and learn, and his or her capacity to cope with stress.• Subsidize gym membership. It can be amazing how a little financial incentive can encourage people to get moving. If your employees know they are getting a discount, it will be much easier to make time for the gym.• Encourage “walking meetings.” Everyone needs to get up and stretch their legs at some point in the day (probably more than most make time for) – why not do it together? Encourage colleagues to set up walk-and-talks that will get the blood and ideas flowing.• Create a positive stairwell environment. Encourage your employees to take the stairs by painting the walls a calming color, piping in music, and displaying motivational signage.• Organize employee fitness groups. Some organizations like to organize groups like Walking Clubs, and provide pedometers for their employees to keep track of their steps. Many have found that this provides a great opportunity not only for stress relief, but for social interaction among coworkers.• Sponsor team sports. Whether you choose softball, volleyball, kickball or dodge ball, company-sponsored team sports are a simple and fun way to get active with coworkers and burn off some of that workday stress through healthy competition.

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One of the highest ranking contributors to employee stress is feeling a lack of control over one’s job. Communicating clearly and empowering your employees to make independent decisions and take ownership of their projects and schedules is vitally important to lowering employee stress.• Encourage transparency. Do managers at your organization share information with employees to reduce uncertainty about their jobs and futures? Make sure that employee

roles and responsibilities are clearly defined so that there is no room for confusion and anxiety.• Empower employees. When you give employees the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect their jobs, you empower them and make them feel respected.

• Be flexible. Does your organization offer flexibility in schedules and rules? Many organizations have discovered that allowing employees to telecommute or job share greatly reduces their stress and gives them a greater sense of autonomy.• Use positive reinforcement. Everybody wants to feel like a valuable contributor. Make sure that your organization provides the kind of environment that encourages praise.• Encourage personal resilience. The ability to handle the inevitable ups and downs of life doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but strategies to increase personal resilience can be learned.

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Whether we like to admit it or not, human beings are motivated by rewards. If your employees are succeeding, excelling, and promoting innovation in your organization, you should make sure to recognize them for it. People who feel overworked and underappreciated are much more likely to feel the pressure of stress and anxiety than those who are encouraged to keep up the good work.• Use verbal praise. Praising an employee for good work, both individually and in front of coworkers is a great way to motivate productivity and reduce stress.• Provide opportunities for growth. One thing to look at in your organization is how often managers provide opportunities for career development. Fostering individual growth instills that sense of value that will encourage an employee to strive toward personal goals of growth.• Promote creativity and innovation. Creating an environment that promotes creativity and innovation within an employee’s job will help employees have a sense of the bigger picture, and will make their jobs seem like an opportunity for personal growth.

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Providing a positive social climate will do a great deal to reduce employee stress, as well as encourage individual growth, foster teamwork, and social support within the workplace.• Coordinate socialization. Does your organization provide opportunities for coworkers to socialize? Some organizations like to encourage weekly department lunches or quarterly parties to improve communication within teams and develop positive working relationships.• Encourage employee fitness groups. Not only is working out together positive for a relationship, social support also pushes people to improve their physical fitness and endurance, which battles stress on the biological level.• Host community-building classes. In addition to the hands-on stress management workshops mentioned earlier, hold HR-sponsored classes on clear communication in the workplace, coworker mediation, or presentations on harassment policies at your organization. Classes like this are a great way to build awareness and trust within your workforce.• Promote positive leadership. How consistent is your management team in keeping with the organization’s values? Change is most effective when it is implemented from the top down in an organization. Managers who are not consistent with corporate policy set up an environment of distrust, which is a great way to cause workplace stress. Also, think about your organization’s leadership team exhibits stress in the workplace? Do they communicate well? Do they work through their lunch breaks or do they make a point to get out of the office for at least a few minutes to walk and get some fresh air? Do your employees see the CEO taking breaks to go to the gym?

Conclusion

There are several factors that contribute to the alarming level of stress Americans experience today. A good chunk of this stress stems from our fast-paced technological environment, the current financial crisis, and our culture of unhealthy “quick fixes.” While the first two factors are tough to change – expectations for efficiency will increase as technology evolves, and the economy will likely wax and wane over time – the last factor – unhealthy behaviors, is something we can change for the better.As an employer you have the opportunity to equip your workforce with the tools they need to understand and assess how stress might be affecting their mind and body, and use of quick and practical strategies for relief. Educating your employees will help raise awareness and engagement of the type of work environment that can encourage such healthy changes.

As each employee learns how to manage their stress, their capacity for productivity and commitment to the mission and values of your organization will dramatically increase.Making the investment in a comprehensive wellness program will not only improve the bottom line and reduce health care costs, it will transform the way your employees manage stress – both for the short and long term. Such an investment is priceless. Leaders.....You can do this with OrbLogic* & OrgBook*-The Intelligent HRIS & Enterprise Collaboration Platform

CITATIONS1 The Direct and Indirect Costs of Employee Depression, Anxiety and Emotional Disorders – An Employer Case Study,” 2 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine – Volume 51, Issue 5 (May 2009)3 http://www.upstate.edu/uh/medicine/stress/work.php4 http://www.upstate.edu/uh/medicine/stress/work.php5 http://www.management-issues.com/display_page.asp?section=research&id=4536Adopted from Alere Wellbeing