Internal stressors are responsible for some of the workplace
stress. Things like illness, improper nutrition, inadequate
rest, bad attitudes to name a few. But most of our stress comes
from external factors. The physical stressors that come from
outside our bodies can be categorized in three ways.
1. Sensory Overload — Extremes in temperature, dampness,
dryness, noise, odors, etc.
2. Imbalance of Relationships — Poor interpersonal
communications, criticism, fractured friendships, and inadequate
supervisory contact.
3. Imbalance of Expectations — Workload, deadlines, appearance,
skills, talents, and desires.
Your employees can experience high levels of stress when they
find a level of difference between what they expect and what
they get. Stress begins when discomfort takes over, when they
cannot get their assigned work completed, and when personal
relationships go awry.
Some people are more stress-tolerant because of previous
experiences, different attitudes and different personal goals,
and differing levels of morale. But stress has a serious impact
on individuals and on company profits
+ 40% of workers say their job is “very or extremely stressful”
(Survey by Northwestern Life)
+ 26% of workers say they are very often “burned out or
stressed” by their work. (Survey by Families and Work Institute)
+ 29% of workers say they feel “quite a bit or extremely
stressed at work.” (Survey by Yale University)
+ 25% of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in
their lives. (Northwestern National Life)
+ 75% of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress
than a generation ago. (Princeton Survey Research Associates)
+ 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. (St. Paul Fire and Marine
Insurance Co.)
Good managers recognize that negative stress affects
productivity and take action to prevent situations that affect
the bottom line. Good managers (at all levels) can control
stress to make a better workplace and boost the bottom line.
Copyright 2010 – Dale Collie – All Rights Reserved