| The impact of stress in the workplace is a staggering | | | | significant. Have had to face that? |
| $300,000,000! This is roughly $7,500 per employee, | | | | In the quest to be perfect in the workplace to aspire to |
| spent annually in the U.S. on stress-related | | | | a zero-defects goal, we have taken the personalities |
| compensation claims, reduced productivity, | | | | out of most jobs and dictate every move of our |
| absenteeism, health insurance costs, direct medical | | | | workforce. It doesn't matter if the employee can get |
| expenses and employee turnover. Just reading that | | | | the same results using a different method - it has to |
| statistic can cause you stress! | | | | be the same as everyone else. Some places even |
| Because it doesn't show up as a line item number in | | | | have protocols of cubical décor (as in no family |
| the budget, companies are not addressing this very | | | | pictures or children's artwork.) As an executive, |
| expensive issue. Time after time I watch companies | | | | imagine if every phone call you had during the work |
| concerned about improving the bottom line do exactly | | | | day had the possibility of being recorded and |
| the opposite of what they should be doing. | | | | monitored by your boss. How comfortable do you |
| Someone decides they need to have fewer | | | | feel? How much in control of your day do you feel or |
| employees doing more work for the same pay in | | | | have you been conditioned to wait on the feedback |
| order to improve expenses because on paper this | | | | from the eavesdropping? Thousands of workers live |
| looks like a savings, when in fact, that decision is | | | | with this very reality. |
| actually increasing expenses! Turnover, production | | | | Look within your company and find the policies and |
| errors, damage to customer relations, and sick leave | | | | standard procedures that create a lack of control for |
| cost more than what is thought to be saved by these | | | | your employees. I still run into some managers that |
| actions. | | | | want a workforce with "strong backs and weak |
| Depression is the single most frequent cause of sick | | | | minds" so they will do what they are told and not |
| leave days and with so many short-staffed situations, | | | | worry about anything else. This is no longer an |
| the burden on the remaining workers is overwhelming, | | | | acceptable approach to management nor will it create |
| and they just shut down to about ½ of their | | | | the desired success. |
| capability. Today's new employees are not going to | | | | Employee needs to be able to control their own |
| tolerate such managerial actions as their grandparents | | | | situations and have the authority and responsibility to |
| did. | | | | go with that control. Better training and more |
| The top three causes of stress that management | | | | experiences create better decision making. Properly |
| have an opportunity to correct and reduce the stress | | | | train your employees to set them up for success on |
| in the workforce: | | | | the job and then let them take control and take the |
| 1. The demands of the job | | | | responsibility for delivering that success. You results will |
| This is the greatest factor of stress in both managerial | | | | be better, your employee growth with be stronger as |
| and non-managerial employees. Every organization is | | | | they grow through mistakes, and their stress levels will |
| following the "more from less" strategy to improving | | | | reduce thereby giving you a fresher more alert |
| the bottom line. Work loads are ever increasing | | | | responsible employee. |
| beyond simply technological improvements. Many of | | | | 3. The support they receive from colleagues and |
| these employment decisions are based on a | | | | superiors |
| short-term financial number and jobs are left vacant | | | | A large number of employees coming into our working |
| for extended periods of time to save money, putting | | | | ranks grew up in a different home environment than |
| the extra workload on those employees that didn't | | | | most of us who have been in the working world for a |
| vacate. | | | | couple of decades. Divorce, single-parent or two |
| Before reducing staff or increasing work loads on your | | | | full-time income parents are the norm. Studies are |
| employees, take the time to study the job. I don't mean | | | | showing there is an increased need by children for |
| study it based on calculations or by "this is what we | | | | individual recognition and support because these home |
| have to have" analysis. Study the job at the employee | | | | environments tends to be chaotic and filled with activity |
| level. Watch how people work. See with your own | | | | yet devoid in true support. This is why the Millennial |
| eyes where the increased output opportunity lies. It's | | | | generation (born after 1980) enjoys working closely |
| easy to sit in the office of the top floor of the building, | | | | with their friends; they know they will be supported by |
| look at some reports and determine we can do this | | | | their colleagues. |
| with five less people. People are not machines and | | | | What is management doing to support employees in |
| from my perspective companies do a better job of | | | | your organization? Support isn't just a recognition |
| caring for machine maintenance than people | | | | program; it's a daily event. Supporting growth, |
| maintenance. | | | | development detecting bad habits and putting a stop to |
| 2. The control staff have over how they do their work | | | | them and encouraging those habits you want to be |
| Job security has changed in the workplace. When I | | | | repeated - that's support. If you've ever played |
| first entered the workforce, job hopping, being fired or | | | | competitive athletics you recognize this is typical |
| laid-off was a black mark on your career. Today it's | | | | coaching behavior. There is a reason so many |
| difficult to find a person that hasn't been "down-sized" | | | | successful athletes have a great relationship with their |
| or took a new job just before being "down-sized." | | | | college coaches - it was a time of development and |
| There is always a curiosity of when not whether the | | | | growth and that particular coach was there to make |
| staff reduction will take place. I wonder if your | | | | that happen. That is support. |
| organization has ever had a rumored shutdown or | | | | Look around your workforce. How much stress do |
| layoff that grabbed the attention of the workforce. | | | | you see? I have yet to deliver a program on stress |
| One of my clients even had to call a company-wide | | | | where I don't have a room full of people looking for |
| meeting to stop the rumors because some of the best | | | | answers on how to remove stress from their lives. |
| workers were leaving for other jobs in a quest for | | | | Look for ways to remove unnecessary stress in the |
| self-preservation. Because the employees were | | | | workplace. Your employees will thank you and your |
| feeling concerned and out of control of their destiny, | | | | bottom line will reflect the positive results of your |
| the bottom line impact for the company was | | | | efforts. |