Recognising And Managing Stress In The Workplace

Workplace stress is a very real occurrence - particularly in today's difficult economy. Many people are finding it harder than ever to cope with challenges on the job.

Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise, and employers, managers, and workers are all feeling the added pressure.

Stress in the workplace can reduce productivity, increase management pressures, and even make people ill - evidence of which is still increasing. Workplace stress affects the performance of the brain, including functions of work performance; memory, concentration, and learning.

A survey of over 5000 employees by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) indicated that 25 per cent of workers were taking time off each year for stress-related reasons. This shows that a high level of workplace stress can lead to increased accident rates and other occupational health and safety (OHS) problems. This has proven to be a very costly exercise in relation to the bottom line, in terms of lost time, increased insurance premiums, and a less productive workforce.

Typical causes of workplace stress include:

• Lack of job security
  
  
• Bullying or harassment - by anyone, not necessarily a person's manager
  
  
• Feeling powerless and uninvolved in determining one's own responsibilities
  
  
• Continuous, unreasonable performance demands
  
  
• Lack of effective communication and conflict resolution
  
  
• Long working hours
  
  
• Excessive time away from home and family
  
  
• Office politics and conflict among staff
  
  
• A feeling that reward is not commensurate with responsibility
  
  
• Working hours, responsibilities and pressures disrupting life-balance.
  
  

While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health. It's important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there's a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.

Tips for Managers / Employers:

1. Improve communication
   
   
   • Share information with employees to reduce uncertainty about their jobs and futures
     
     
   • Clearly define employees' roles and responsibilities
     
     
   • Make communication friendly and efficient, not mean-spirited or petty
     
     
2. Consult your employees
   
   
   • Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their jobs
     
     
   • Consult employees about scheduling and work rules
     
     
   • Be sure the workload is suitable to employees' abilities and resources; avoid unrealistic deadlines
     
     
   • Show that individual workers are valued
     
     
3. Offer rewards and incentives
   
   
   • Praise good work performance verbally and institutionally
     
     
   • Provide opportunities for career development
     
     
   • Promote an "entrepreneurial" work climate that gives employees more control over their work
     
     
4. Cultivate a friendly social climate
   
   
   • Provide opportunities for social interaction among employees
     
     
   • Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment
     
     
   • Make management actions consistent with organisational values
     
     

Personal tips:

• Before approaching a task, plan your work-flow and organise yourself
  
  
• Stay positive
  
  
• Laughter is said to be the best medicine. Try to see the humour in any situation and laugh it off, rather than allowing an unpleasant situation get to you
  
  
• When you feel stressed, try some deep-breathing exercises
  
  
• Keep fit. A fit body leads to an agile mind which can easily cope with stress
  
  
• Sharing a stressful situation with friends can help to ease the stress
  
  
• An unbalanced diet causes health problems that may percolate to the workplace. Eat healthily. An intake of vitamins and minerals will also help
  
  
• Tackle stress head-on and don't allow it to get to you. Analyse the situation that is causing stress, and try to find solutions

Simon Boulton. Aequalis Consulting Director Simon Boulton has over 12 years of recruitment experience in London and Sydney, specialising in financial services. In that time, Simon launched multiple Australian divisions for international companies. For further information, please visit the Web site: www.aequalisconsulting.com.au
First published: 6 May 2009.
Last updated: 6 May 2009.