There’s no denying it: Americans today are stressed out — and among the leading causes of this stress are job-related fears and pressures. Whether it’s due to heavy workloads, problems with co-workers, the inability to achieve work/life balance, or worries about job security, today’s employees are bearing an increasing amount of stress on the job.
In fact, the Attitudes in the American Workplace VII survey revealed that as many as 80 percent of workers feel stress in the workplace. About half desire help managing workplace stress better. While you initially may view employee stress as insignificant and something that comes with the territory, it can become a serious issue when you learn how stress affects productivity, absenteeism, turnover and your bottom line.
How Occupational Pressures Affect Business
The more stressed out your employees are, the more their morale, productivity, attendance and loyalty suffer, research shows. According to the American Institute of Stress:
- Job stress costs more than $300 billion annually in the U.S.
- These expenses stem from stress-related accidents, absenteeism, turnover, medical costs, workers’ compensation awards and more.
- 12 percent of workers have called in sick because of job stress.
- More than half of workers deal with job-related neck pain.
- Higher job stress increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Job stress has been associated with health problems more than other stressors.
When you find ways to counteract stress in the workplace, both your employees and your business as a whole benefit. How to achieve that is the challenging part. Because stress is such a highly personalized experience, it can be tough for employers to determine a course of action. What one person considers stressful, another may not. How individuals react to stress also may vary.
How can you help your workers better cope with pressure on the job? Are there company-wide steps that can be implemented? The good news is that yes, you can alleviate employee stress in the workplace. Examine the accompanying infographic for specific ideas for creating a less stressful, more productive, thriving workplace environment.
