[ Volume Two ]

Overview: Workplace stress is a very real and growing problem for both Australian employees and employers. The cost of workplace stress to employers is very clear (lost productivity, higher absenteeism, greater staff turnover, etc) and the cost to employees is equally frightening (over eating, binge drinking, low self esteem, etc). This article discusses the issue of workplace stress in detail and examines a number of practical measures that both individuals and corporations can take to reduce work-related stress levels.

Stress. We all experience it at different levels of intensity and we all have our own ways of coping with it. And while some research suggests that small doses of stress can actually be good for you and subsequently lead to increased productivity, the main body of evidence suggests that stress is taking a massive toll on our everyday lives. In fact, the personal and business costs of stress are significant and consequently those organisations that establish pro-active measures to 'de-stress' their workforce will gain measurable improvements in staff productivity, satisfaction and retention.

In Australia, stress-related costs continue to increase at a steady rate. Dr Ted Emmett of Worksafe Australia estimates the annual cost to Australian business of stress-related problems to be as high as $9 billion. These costs include:

• Higher health insurance claims,
  
• More disability claims,
  
• Lost productivity,
  
• Higher rates of absenteeism,
  
• Greater staff turnover,
  
• Reduced job satisfaction,
  
• Decreased performance and low morale.

While the business costs of stress are high, so too are the personal costs that impact an individual's health and well being. As such, strategies need to be developed at both an organisational and individual level for coping with the growing stress 'epidemic'.

What Exactly Is Stress?

Stress can be defined as a physical and/or mental state of strain and tension. Stress endured for long periods can result in the body's inability to adapt physiologically to a relaxed condition which in turn can lead to clinical depression. Although long-term stress has a very real negative impact on one's health and productivity, short-term stress can actually act as a motivator to improve task performance. It is said that just the right amount of stress and intensity can inspire creative thinking, problem solving, or even improve relationships with others. Despite this, most of us try to limit or avoid stress altogether.

Experts attribute job stress to your sense of control over a situation or environment. Less control equals more stress. In the face of escalating work demands, an increasing number of people in today's workforce feel overwhelmed and anxious - undermining their confidence and effectiveness.(1) It is thought that the average person is subjected to 50-100 'stressor' stimuli each day. This stimuli might range from a confrontation with a co-worker or peer, being caught in traffic, or nervousness about an upcoming meeting.

The challenge, therefore, lies in our ability to understand how to effectively manage everyday stressful situations and prevent these situations from building into long-term feelings of stress.

The Impact Of Stress - What The Studies Reveal: (2)

Research confirms that stress does play a major role in the modern workforce. Key findings have concluded that work place stress …

… Is costly. The total cost of workers compensation claims in Australia for stress-related conditions is estimated at over $200 million every year.

… Results in higher absenteeism. The 1997 ACTU (Australian Council of Trade Unions) National Survey on Stress at Work found that one in four Australians took time off work because of stress and concluded that workplace stress had now reached "epidemic proportions."

… Is compounded by negative work environments. A study by psychologists Peter Cotton and Peter Hart analysed more than 100,000 Australian public and private sector employees regarding the relationship between stress and work environments. The study found that employees suffering from stress or sickness and that work in negative work environments were far more likely to take time off than those suffering from stress or sickness who work in positive workplaces with high staff morale.

… Is dangerous. It is estimated that 60 to 80 per cent of industrial accidents in the US are due to stress and that 40% of worker turnover is due to job stress.

… Is unhealthy. Between 70 to 90 per cent of employee hospital visits in the US are linked to stress and the American Medical Association has stated that stress was the cause of 80 to 85 percent of all human illness and disease. A separate study of work related stress in Japan showed that men who work 11 hours or more per day have a risk of heart attack that is 2.5 times that of men working an 8 hour day. Furthermore, a study in the UK exposed 266 people to a common cold virus and then tracked who became sick. 28.6 percent of those with few signs of stress caught the cold. However, the figure jumped to 42.4 percent for those who were under high stress.

… Is a growing problem. The American Institute for Occupational Health and Safety recently disclosed that the number of American workers who consider stress to be a major problem in their lives has more than doubled during the past ten years.

What Causes Stress Amongst The Average Employee? (3)

Research shows that the most common causes of work-related stress include:

1. Working long hours at the office and hence excessive time away from home and family, particularly if working longer hours is felt to be beyond the employee's control.
   
   
2. Finding it hard to say no to a task for fear of losing future work - a common issue for the self-employed or anyone under financial pressures.
   
   
3. Feeling undervalued at work. This can also lead to stress and tension on the home front.
   
   
4. Boredom. Over time a lack of motivation can diminish an employee's feelings of self-worth and ability to cope.
   
   
5. Frustration. Often experienced by people who find the path to promotion is constantly being blocked by someone else or a feeling that one's reward is not commensurate with one's responsibilities.
   
   
6. Being near the bottom of the ladder in a large hierarchical organisation where one feels they have little control over their working day.
   
   
7. Exposure to conflict among staff or traumatic incidents at work, something that police, prison officers, ambulance workers and other health professionals face on an almost daily basis.
   
   
8. Workplace victimisation or bullying (not necessarily by a person's manager) can seriously affect a person's self-esteem and stress levels.
   
   
9. Dealing with constant change in the workplace environment and the tasks one is expected to perform.
   
   
10. Continuous unreasonable performance demands from management.
    
    
11. Poor organisation - anything from poor day planning to a cluttered work space can quickly lead to feelings of stress and a lack of control.
    
    
12. Information Overload. A Reuters survey found that two-thirds of managers worldwide suffer from increased tension and one-third from ill health directly because of information overload.

Practical Stress-Busting Techniques

Given the resounding impact that workplace stress is having on our society today, what practical measures can individuals take (and employers encourage and facilitate) to help provide a low-stress work environment? Below is a compilation of 'stress busting' techniques, many of which are designed to help modify stress response without upsetting a daily routine: (4)

(a). Relaxation Strategies Relaxation methods do work if given a chance - yoga, meditation, self-hypnosis, massage, a breath of fresh air, all have their place. Here are three relaxation techniques to help get you started: Right Here, Right Now: Most of us worry about events that never actually happen or things that have already happened. Reality consists of one time and one time only: the present. Repeat to yourself as often as needed each day: Where am I? Here. What time is it? Now. Don't ruin today by stressing yourself over what may or may not happen tomorrow. Your Relaxation Place: Begin with a few relaxation breaths. Then, with your eyes closed, take a moment to create in your mind's eye an ideal spot to relax. You can make it any place you'd like, such as the mountains, beach, your deck chair or favourite park. It can be either a real or an imagined place. See yourself comfortably enjoying this place. Once you've created it, use it whenever you feel the need to relax. Warm Hands: Visualise your hands being warm and relaxed. You might imagine them in a bucket of warm water, near a fire, or in a warm pair of fleece gloves. Perhaps you can even begin to feel the warm blood flowing down into your hands and into your fingertips. When your hands are warm you start to feel more at ease and relaxed.

In The News: Art used to reduce stress Two of the UK's leading experts on stress were plunged into the media spotlight recently after advising stressed workers and executives to take time out of their busy schedule for art! Professor Terry Looker and Dr Olga Gregson, of the Department of Biological Sciences at MMU, teamed up with Manchester Art Gallery to select paintings seen as therapeutic. The gallery is offering lunchtime tranquillity tours for stressed out office workers and sought expert advice from the academics who specialise in stress management, physiology and health. The tours highlight paintings from Pre-Raphaelite to modern, abstract works and are specially chosen to relax. They include paintings 'The Waters of Lethe' by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, 'Thomson's Aeolian Harp' by Turner and 'Summer in Cumberland' by James Durden. (8)

(b). De-stressing Strategies:

• Exercise: Physical exercise is immensely beneficial in managing stress. This is for several reasons: (a). Exercise releases helpful chemicals in our brain and body that are good for us. One such chemical released by exercise is beta-endorphin, which is proven to have a positive effect on how we feel. (b). Exercise distracts us from the causes of stress. (c). Exercise warms and relaxes cold, tight muscles and tissues that contribute to stress. (d). Exercise develops and maintains a healthy body which directly reduces stress susceptibility.

  Employer Tips: Organise discounted gym membership for all staff, encourage staff participation in fun runs such as the 'City 2 Surf', or sponsor staff teams in the local lunch-time basketball, netball or indoor cricket competitions.

• Improve diet: Group B vitamins and magnesium are important, but potentially so are all the other vitamins and minerals, hence a balanced and healthy diet is essential. Assess your current diet and identify where improvements should be made and commit to those improvements. Reduce toxin intake - especially tobacco and alcohol - they might seem to provide temporary relief but they work against the balance of the body and contribute to stress susceptibility, and therefore increase stress itself. Cut down on the caffeine too. Not only is it addictive, but this popular stimulant drug can also send your stress levels soaring. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and eat small, nutritious snacks. Hunger and dehydration, even before you're aware of them, can provoke aggressiveness and exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress. Finally, don't go hungry. Skipping meals only leads to after-work binges and overdoses of fast food when your energy plummets. To deal with a stressful day, you've got to have fuel and energy. Keep yourself nourished and don't wait for the hunger pains.

  Employer Tips: Review the contents of on-site vending machines to ensure that a good range of healthy options are available, provide a 'corporate fruit bowl' for staff, include reviews of local food outlets that offer nutritious lunches in your staff newsletter, and ensure that water coolers are made widely available and accessible from all work stations.

• Tackle excess noise. (5) Decide how much noise you're comfortable with and take steps to reduce or eliminate unwanted distractions. Excess noise leads to lack of focus which in turn leads to low productivity.

  Employer Tips: Review office music policies and ensure that one person's preference for music at work isn't negatively impacting their colleagues. Also ensure that, where appropriate, adequate partitioning is in place between workstations to improve privacy and decrease noise levels.

• Think about your interaction with your surroundings. Read up on ergonomic principles for the workplace. The angle of your chair, position of your keyboard, or the type of seat cushion you're using can all be significant contributors to elevated office stress levels. Allow time for some fresh, unrecirculated air. If opening a window is not a possibility, take at least part of your lunch break outdoors.

  Employer Tips: Ensure that staff are always provided with ergonomically correct chairs and desks. The long-term benefits in staff productivity are proven, and far outweigh any short-term costs. Ensure that senior management and procurement staff are fully behind this initiative! Also consider trialing aromatherapy. In June 2000 The British Journal of General Practice concluded that aromatherapy is 'pleasant, slightly anxiolytic (stress-relieving), and often enjoyable for patients in stressful situations'. Other stress-relieving initiatives could include a quiet room where staff can 'take five' on a futon, a massage chair in the lobby, or a 'well-being fund' which part-pays for groups of staff to undertake relaxation activities such as yoga, kung fu and pilates. (6)

• Focus on effective time management. Refresh your workplace time management skills and eliminate those extra minutes in the workday that are wasted on unproductive activities. Try also to not become a slave to e-mail. It's easy to fall victim to the trap of constant checking and responding to e-mail, often to the detriment of one's own productivity.

  Employer Tips: The facilitation of regular time management and productivity training is a must. Also encourage and incentivise employees who perform similar functions to share their best ideas with others on how they save time and increase productivity.

• A power nap anyone? Taking a brief "power nap" during the afternoon slump can actually improve alertness and actually enhance productivity on the job, according to experts. The effects of sleep on memory are thought to be due to both the slow-wave sleep during the first quarter of the night as well as the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that occurs later. Since a brief nap does not allow the stage of REM sleep to occur, the early, slow-wave sleep is likely to be the cause of the enhanced productivity following a brief nap.

  Employer Tips: While providing fully fledged office sleeping facilities may be a little extreme (and difficult to get Management buy-in!), hiring a professional masseuse to provide staff with 15 minute head and shoulder massages or encouraging staff to take a walk round the block instead of their usual 15 minute coffee or smoke break can be equally effective.

Conclusion

Work-related stress is clearly a growing problem in the modern workforce. And while the bulk of evidence conclusively proves the destructive influence long-term stress has on our ability to function effectively at work, there are a number of practical measures that can be taken to both reduce stress levels and increase productivity. However, programs that focus only on changing employee behaviours, or placing responsibility for stress management solely with employees are not enough. Employers themselves must shoulder significant responsibility for implementing stress-reduction programs and creating a work environment that ensures their staff remain happy, productive and relatively stress-free. For the price of a cup of coffee per employee, workforce stress reduction programs have been shown to reduce absenteeism by as much as 50 per cent.(7) The payback is clear for all to see.

Finally, let us not forget what John Ruskin said as far back as 1871 on the subject:

"In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed:

1. They must be fit for it;
2. They must not do too much of it;
3. And they must have a sense of success in it."

Postscript - How Stressed Are You? Try Our Stress Test!

If you've been wondering what degree of stress you live with, here is a quick way to get a fair estimate. In the 1960's, Dr T. H. Holmes and Dr R. H. Rahe composed a table of events and the amount of stress they cause. Keep in mind that people have varying stress-handling capacities and this table does not take into account such regular stress factors as recreational drug use, alcoholism, chronic illness, and random stress factors such as car accidents, or winning a contest. (This is presented as information only and should not be used for diagnostic or treatment purposes).

Circle the items you have experienced in the last 12 months:

EVENT:

Your Score: ____________

(Add the items circled to obtain your score).

• A score of 150 or less means a relatively low amount of stress and a low susceptibility to stress-related illness.
  
• A score of 151 to 299 implies a 50% probability of stress-related illness.
  
• A score of 300 or above implies a high probability of experiencing health problems related to stress.
  

References:

(1) http://www.drakeintl.com/dbr/article5.html
(2) Includes statistics from http://www.missioncontrol.com/
(3) Adapted from "Married the Job Study." Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (UK), 2000
(4) Some techniques from "Biofeedback: Stress Management Strategies," compiled by Counseling Services at Kansas State University.
(5) Tips for a Less-Stressed Workday By Melissa Stöppler. http://stress.about.com/od/workplacestress/a/workday.htm
(6) http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/0-9/4health/stress/saw_manage.html
(7) Ibid.
(8) http://www.news%2Dmedical.net/default.asp%3Fid=2568

About Regent Recruitment Regent Recruitment is a recruitment consultancy that assists leading Australian employers to attract and retain talented staff on a contract, temporary or permanent basis. Whether we are filling one permanent role or recruiting contract staff for a 400-seat call centre, we deliver an exceptional recruitment service. Unlike other recruitment consultancies, Regent Recruitment is unique in that it combines the capabilities of a large-scale multinational recruitment operation with exceptional service levels typically only associated with small boutique agencies. How can we assist you? We would welcome the opportunity to have a confidential meeting to discuss your staffing needs in more detail. If you are interested, in the first instance please call Howard Mereine, General Manager, on (03) 9909 7150 or e-mail Howard at hmereine@regentrecruitment.com.au. We look forward to speaking with you.

This article was licenced by Regent Recruitment for the Regent Recruitment client newsletter.
Written by Paul Quinn, Quinntessential Marketing Consulting Pty Ltd.


Subscriptions

Please feel free to forward this listing on to other people in your company or in the wider industry who you believe may benefit.

You may subscribe or unsubscribe at any time - click here to manage your subscription.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Regent Personnel Pty Ltd.