I do not think stress is an inevitable part of most jobs. Instead, I believe many supervisors either unknowingly create stress for their employees or have not taken simple steps to reduce stress in the office.One thing is clear: employees everywhere report stress at work.
As reported by MSNBC, a recent survey of 115,000 workers in 33 countries found nearly a fifth of employees say their work makes them ill or unhealthy. And a survey by the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. found that “problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor – more so than even financial problems or family problems.”
What causes all this stress?
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports the most common causes of stress are heavy workload, long work hours, hectic and routine tasks, lack of participation by workers in decision-making, poor communication, lack of family-friendly policies, lack of support from coworkers and supervisors, and unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions. As result, employees suffer from common symptoms of stress: headaches, difficulty in concentrating, short temper, upset stomach, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance and irritability.
Wow! Not exactly a recipe for a successful workplace.
As a supervisor facing my own productivity and deadline pressures, I know it’s easy to lean on employees to do it faster, cheaper and better. Over the years, I’ve learned to motivate employees to work at a high level without ratcheting up the office stress level. Here are a few of tips – supported by published research about workplace stress – that work for me:
- Give employees the tools they need to be successful. Ensure that all employees’ capabilities match their responsibilities, which might mean training some employees, and give them the resources (budget, technology, etc.) they need to be successful. Few things are more stressful for an employee than reporting to work each day without confidence they can succeed.
- Write a clear job description for every employee , and ensure all workers understand their responsibilities.
- Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their jobs. Supervisors cannot do this with every decision, but employees should feel they have a say in their own workplace.
- Maintain good communications. I’ve found that simple weekly staff meetings and an open-door policy eliminate the vast majority of communications problems.
- Be sensitive that employees have lives outside the office. Sometimes you may have to ask employees to work long hours or make sacrifices, but you’ll build a lot of loyalty – and reduce stress – by supporting a balance of work and family life for all your employees.
In short, I don’t think it’s hard to reduce employee stress, but you have to recognize it exists and take steps to combat it. To learn more, visit the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health website on work stress at www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html.
Posted by robertpeek 
Posted by robertpeek 
