Workplace Stress IS the “Elephant in the Room!”

For many companies today, employee stress is the “Elephant in the Room.” Employee stress does exist, but is often not given the recognition or attention needed to solve it. While some companies acknowledge that employee stress is a real problem for them, yet they only make a token effort to address it. In effect, the challenge of dealing with employee stress is more often ignored, denied or avoided all together.

However, the financial and emotional cost of not dealing with the problem is greater than the small cost to provide the programs necessary to help employees learn how to reduce and master workplace stress. The consequences of prolonged stress are great.

“Employee stress diminishes one’s health, lowers morale, reduces engagement, decreases productivity and fosters job turnover. Stress is costing companies millions and they may not even know it.”

The Cost of Employee Stress

The main cost of employee stress is related to mental health and stress related problems. In fact, mental health claims account for a whopping 28% of employee benefit costs. This cost is greater than claims for heart disease (14%) and cancer (13%); the second and third highest healthcare costs. Recently, the regional director at a major health care provider stated that…

“After nearly 40 years in wellness, I am absolutely convinced that ‘stress’ and the lack of ‘stress management’ are the major causes of all un-wellness in this country.”

In 2015, Regus of Luxembourg polled over 22,000 employees in 100 countries about their level of stress; they concluded that…

“…office life has never been more stressful, with over half of the global workforce (53%) saying they are closer to burning out than they were just five years ago.”

• A 2015 Towers Watson report stated that people with high levels of stress have a 35% higher rate of absenteeism and are twice as likely to report that they feel disengaged or unsupported. They concluded that 40% of employee turnover is due to stress.
• A recent Carnegie Mellon University study, where over 6,300 people were surveyed, found that workplace stress has increased between 10% and 30% since 1983.
• A Harvard and Stanford University study concluded that “workplace stress contributes to 120,000 deaths each year at a healthcare cost of up to $190bn.
• A study by American Psychological Association found that chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. And, more than 75% of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. Yet, few received any help for their stress.
• The third annual Work Stress Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Everest College, polled 1,019 employed Americans. The results showed a marked increase from last year’s survey, which found that 73% of Americans were stressed at work. This year, that number jumped to 83%.

THE “ELEPHANT” IS REAL! WHAT CAN BE DONE?

SOLUTIONS

Bringing the “elephant” into the room for all to see and fixing the workplace stress problem is not easy. It takes commitment, motivation and resources to empower employees to help keep the stress response in balance and to provide a better way to function at peak levels.

But, focusing just on the employee is not enough. It also means transforming the corporate culture to one that is more humane, fair and less stressful. We can’t ask employees to master their stress, while at the same time maintain a work environment this is overly demanding, dehumanizing and often toxic. It is essential to make substantial changes in the corporate culture so as to mitigate employee stress and improve the overall climate in which employees work.

What can be done? Here are four suggestions…

EXPAND EAP PROGRAMS

While EAPs are a good resource for more serious mental health issues, they are typically not the place that employees go for help with everyday stress. When employees were asked “where would you go for help with stress”, EAPs were not even in the top 5 resources listed.

EAPs should be expanded with more programs, workshops and seminars that provide proven effective ways to reduce stress and build stress resilience. As attending a stress management program can carry a negative stigma, program developers should work with their employees to create vehicles of communication such as motivational brochures, flyers, emails and posters that present a Mastering Stress program in a positive, engaging and, even, challenging light.

INCREASE STRESS MASTERY TRAINING

EAPs cannot do it all. Corporate stress management, stress mastery and stress resilience training should be increased at All levels. Both internal and external stress management trainers should be utilized to communicate the message that “stress IS an option,” and can be optimized for peak performance and health.

Programs should focus not only on ways to reduce stress, such as exercise, yoga, deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation, but also on how to prevent stress from recurring. As stress is function of how one perceives and responds to work or life stressors, stress mastery programs should train participants in such techniques as CBT, cognitive restructuring, “stop techniques” and how to change from irrational to rational thinking.

TRAIN WELLNESS COACHES

The good news is that with the ACA focus on preventative health and well-being programs, wellness coaches are now common in many companies and organizations today. Typically, wellness professionals focus on diet, nutrition, exercise, BMIs, bio-metrics and HRAs. However, a stress management or stress mastery focus is not one of their top priorities. The reason is simple. Most wellness coaches are not trained in how to help employees with high levels of stress. Since stress is at the core of all well-being and is a major factor in health, wellness coaches need to have substantial training and coaching in evidence-based ways that can help employees master their stress and function at more optimal levels

CHANGE CORPORATE CULTURE

When 25% of managers polled say that “anger is an acceptable” form of management…something is wrong. Employers can’t just ask the employee to grin and bear it while heaping on more work, longer hours and greater demands.

Companies should engage employees to help create and adopt a corporate-wide philosophy that promotes a positive, supportive and uplifting work environment. There are many ways to do this, such as giving employees more autonomy, a voice in decision making, a time to socialize, exercise, meditate and take well needed breaks.

ACKNOWLEDGE THE”ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM!”

Employee Stress is the “Elephant in the Room” that can no longer be ignored; it should be acknowledged, accepted and skillfully worked with. It is essential to provide employees with the programs, resources and “mindset” to help them learn to master stress, while at the same time optimizing the corporate culture for success.

A less stressed workforce coupled with a positive culture in which to work will benefit everyone; the employee, the company or organization, community and the family.