Stress naturally occurs in the workplace. But
when left unchecked, it can become detrimental to one’s health and
productivity. In fact, a recent study[1] by the British
Heart Foundation found that two in every five employees say that stress at work
has affected their health, by causing them to smoke and drink more, eat poorly,
and forego exercise. Stress has been associated with physical problems like a weakened
immune system, stomach aches, high blood pressure, hair loss, and headaches.
Their mental health can also be affected as excess stress can cause racing
thoughts, feelings of losing control or feeling or anger, depression, and sleep
issues.
All though managers can’t completely relieve
stress from every employee, there are certain factors to understand that can
help put into perspective what causes stress and how to lessen its effect in
the workplace.
1. Employee lack
of control
How much authority employees have, lack of
influence or consultation in the way in which work is organized can all be
potential sources of pressure for employees. To balance this, make sure workers
have involvement in decision making or give them allowance to make suggestions
in relation to their role. If possible, employees should be encouraged to
develop new skills to help them undertake new and challenging pieces of work.
Lack of time is also a huge factor in inducing
stress so monitoring how much time you are allotting per project can make a big
difference. Also, consult with your employees about when breaks should be taken
and their work patterns.
2. Role
Ambiguity
Work-related stress can be caused when an
employee does not understand their role fully. Reasons for this could be they
have not been given adequate training to carry out their role or if their role
has conflicting responsibilities. Role ambiguity and conflict decreases
workers’ performance and could be a reason for employee turnover.
Roles should be clearly defined and information
should be made available to employees on this. If you do not have them already,
systems should be put in place to enable employees to raise concerns about any
uncertainties or conflicts they have in their role and responsibilities. Open
communication is key here.
3. Work-Life
Balance
Although this involves employee personal lives,
employers should also be aware of their worker's work and life balance. This is
the biggest and most pressing challenge to the mental health of the general
population. Long hours are a
contributing factor to this unbalance and it's something that employers can
control. Excessive travel time and unsocial working hours can also contribute
to stress that affects home life. Keep in mind and respect that each employee
has a life outside of work that is just as important as their work life. They
need to be able to balance both or their overall physical and mental health
will suffer for it.
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