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Stress in the workplace
 Stress in the workplace has become an increasingly hot topic over the past few decades. Stress in the workplace is obviously important to employees but management is also concerned about stress in the workplace for several reasons. Increased stress in the workplace has been shown to increase absenteeism and employee turnover. Increased stress in the workplace also increases medical and insurance costs because of rising Workers compensation rates and awards due to mounting stress in the workplace suits.
In addition, stress in the workplace reduces productivity, which adversely affects the bottom line and can lower profits causing company's stock price to fall. The American Institute of Stress estimates that stress in the workplace costs U.S. corporations over $300 billion annually, or more than ten times the cost of all strikes combined. In addition, employers may be held liable if they do not offer programs designed to reduce stress in the workplace.
The ability to lower levels of stress in the workplace has been shown to improve employee health and quality of life as well as boosting the bottom line. These are some of the reasons that Employee Assistance programs to reduce stress in the workplace by providing services like anger and time management and learning relationship skill. Some even offer marital counseling, since stress at home often spills over to affect job performance that increases stress in the workplace.
There are many causes of stress in the workplace. Some common causes of stress in the workplace include working long hours, feeling that you are being treated unfairly, not having any acknowledgement or reward for a job well done, and most importantly, increased demands but having little control or decision making latitude of your work activities. This latter combination of factors are the most important contributors to stress in the workplace and have been shown in scientific studies to be associated with higher rates of hypertension and heart attacks.
In addition to other disorders, persistent stress in the workplace due to constant increased demands can also lead to burnout. Burnout from stress in the workplace is likely to be seen in employees who are perfectionists or think they are superhuman. It is also seen in caregivers and EMS personnel who experience frequent episodes of frustration and depression because of stress in the workplace. Symptoms from this severe type of stress in the workplace include persistent and significant depression, fatigue and lack of energy and motivation and markedly diminished sense of humor, satisfaction, self-confidence and ability to concentrate. Brownout is a lesser form of burnout resulting from stress in the workplace.
A lack of job security is also cited as one of the major causes of stress in the workplace and has been a growing problem due to more downsizing, hostile takeovers and mergers. This type of stress in the workplace can affect everyone from data entry clerks and salespersons to supervisors, middle management and top executives.
Office politics are a frequent cause of stress in the workplace and can be due to fierce competition for promotion, discrimination because of race, gender, religion or age. This common source of stress in the workplace is often intensified if workers have no outlet to complain or feel that pointing out such injustices will only make things worse. Problems related to office politics also tend to get worse during downsizing, acquisitions and mergers so that stress in the workplace increases further.
The good news is that there several things you can do to reduce stress in the workplace. One important action to take is to not place unreasonable expectations on yourself with regard to your ability to accomplish things just because you might have some time available. Many assignments take much longer than originally anticipated. Learning to say no to requests, especially if others can satisfy them just as well and delegating authority as well as responsibility can be very effective ways to reduce stress in the workplace.
You can learn much more about stress in the workplace and the causes, consequence and cure of job stress at Topics Of Interest and other www.stress.org sites such as Job Stress.
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