Steve Tutty, Associate Director, Clinical Behavioral Services:
How many of your employees are feeling the effects of chronic stress this very minute? Chances are, the answer is "all of them." There are many reasons why this could be.
First, consider our modern environment. We depend on sophisticated information tools to work more efficiently, and we now expect efficient productivity. As a result, employees are multi tasking – email, text, internet, cell, text, email, etc., and many find it difficult to “unplug” themselves at the end of the workday. Does this sound familiar?
Second, Americans are dealing with financial crises and job insecurity second to the Depression. Stock market declines, lay offs, and foreclosures breed fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress, both in the home and the workplace. Many employees feel stuck without any clear options in sight.
Third, Americans are coping with stress with quick fixes – fast food, alcohol, tobacco, prescription medications, etc., which makes their bodies and minds more vulnerable to the effects of stress.
These factors, among others, contribute to our experience of stress, which is felt day in and day out. 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.
A recent Gallup Poll concluded that while 80% of workers admit that they are stressed in the workplace 50% reported they would like to receive education on how to better manage their stress. This is good news!
As an employer, this time marks a fantastic opportunity to provide education about stress and an environment that supports stress management activities, which can help your workforce engage and improve the quality of their work -- and their lives.
Participate in our webinar, “Extreme Makeover: HR Edition: Strategies for Reducing Employee Stress in the Workplace” on September 29 and learn practical ways you can reduce worksite stress at your organization by teaching your employees (and yourself) how to manage short-term and long-term stress.