Stress in the workplace :Find out how stress is affecting your productivity and your bottom line?
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According to CNN-Money.com, Americans spent more
than $17 billion for anti-depressants and anti-
anxiety drugs in 2002, up 10% from the year before
and nearly 30% over a two year period.
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Many workers will not go to upper management and tell them that they are experiencing work related stress because they fear the possible loss of their job or a demotion.
If you are the manager it is your job to recognize these signs of stress, uncover the sources of stress and offer solutions to help your staff stress less so that they can focus more.
If you are the employee who is suffering from stress at work it is time you took control and began to learn tips for reducing stress. |
Are you still not sure if you need to do anything about stress in the workplace?
Consider the following statistics
Stress and Health:
The cost of corporate health benefits, as a percentage of after-tax profits, has increased from 26% in 1989 to 45% in 1990.
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Health Care Benefits Survey 1991 - Indemnity Plans - Cost, Design, and Funding. Princeton, NJ: A. Foster Higgins & Co., Inc; 1992: 2-3.
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Research shows that 60% to 90% of doctor visits are stress related?
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Perkins, A. (1994). Saving money by reducing stress. Harvard Business Review. 72(6):12.
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The total health and productivity cost of worker stress to American business is estimated at $50-$150 billion annually.
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Sauter, S.L.; Murphy, L.R.; and Hurrell, Jr., J.J. (1990) Prevention of work-related psychological disorders. American Psychologist. 45(10):1146-1153
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Experts estimate that it costs American employers $700 million per year to replace the 200,00 men aged 45 to 65 who die or are incapacitated by coronary artery disease.
Cooper,C,;Cooper,R.;and Baker,L. (1988) Living with Stress. Harmondsworth,NY:Penguin Health
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A study of 3,020 aircraft employees showed that employees who "hardly ever" enjoyed their job were 2.5 times more likely to report a back injury than those who reported "almost always" enjoying their job.
Bigos, S.J.; Battie, M.C.; Spengler, D.M.; Fisher, L.D.; Fordyce, W.E.; Hansonn, T.H.; Nachemson, A.L.; and Wortley, M.D.. A prospective study of work perceptions and psychosocial factors affecting the report of back injury, Spine, 1, 1?7, 1991.
Stress and Productivity:
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A Gallup Poll of 201 U.S. corporations revealed that 60% of all managers felt that stress related illness was pervasive among their workers and decreased productivity at an estimated cost of 16 days of sick leave and $8,000 per person per year.
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The Gallup Organization
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Every time a grievance is brought up, lost productivity by the employee and those around him/her is about 80 work hours.
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Wilson, B. (1991) U.S. businesses suffer from workplace trauma. Personnel Journal. July, 1991: 47-50.
Stress and Cognitive Function:
Research with humans experiencing uncontrollable stress shows that such stress results in a deterioration in their cognitive processes, resulting in diminished problem-solving abilities.
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Seligman, M. (1972). Helplessness: On Depression, Development, and Death. San Francisco: Freeman and Company.
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Experiments with humans show that uncontrollable stress leads to a shift in thought process to a superficial, simplistic, unoriginal style of thinking.
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Pennebaker, J. (1990). Opening Up: The Healing Power of Confiding In Others. NY: Morrow.
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Our ability to learn is directly affected by our emotional state. When we are feeling stressed and insecure, our ability to learn is seriously compromised.
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Rose, C. (1985). Accelerated Learning. NY: Dell Books.
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