Workplace Stress and Employee Assistance Programs

 Workplace Stress and Employee Assistance Program

There is an old saying that goes, “Find a job you love and you’ll never work another day of your life.” Sound too good to be true?  It probably is, because most people spend 25 percent of their adult lives working.   So if you actually enjoy what you do, you’re one of the lucky ones.  But, if you’re one of those proverbial square pegs and your job is a round hole, chances are you are experiencing stress from your job. 

The chances of you finding the perfect job and feeling stress-free are not very high, but you don’t have to suffer forever. People are finding more and more ways to manage job stress.

What is Job Stress?
Job stress is the chronic state in which conditions in the workplace impact a person’s performance and well-being in a negative way, and can cause physical and/or emotional illnesses.

Signs and Symptoms
According to the United Nations’ International Labor Organization, the majority of Americans consider their jobs to be stressful.  Job stress may be caused by one or more of the following:

• Job insecurity,
• Extremely long work hours,
• Intense pressure to perform at peak levels all the time,
• Excessive travel,
• Too much time away from family,
• Harassment or any other traumatic event,
• Office politics,
• Conflict with co-worker(s),
• Personal or family problems,
• Sense of powerlessness,
• Unclear job responsibilities,
• Lack of control, and
• Technology.
• The signs of stress will vary depending on the person, situation, duration, and intensity of the stressor(s) but typical job stress includes the following:
• Insomnia,
• Loss of mental concentration,
• Anxiety,
• Depression,
• Substance abuse,
• Extreme anger & frustration,
• Family conflict, and
• Illnesses such as heart disease, migraine headaches, stomach problems, and back problems. 

Negative Effects of Job Stress
Stress can affect workers at all levels.  For example, line operators now have more responsibilities in addition to having to produce more. Managers who used to only supervise eight to nine people are now being asked to manage two to three times as many people. 

Research indicates that most medical problems stem from stress.  These medical problems are costly to employees and their employers, in the form of lost wages, benefits costs, decreased productivity, and accidents.  Workers’ compensation mental claims have increased dramatically over the years.

Stressed out employees are more likely to miss work than those experiencing moderate levels of stress.  The American Journal of Health Promotion found that over-stressed employees are two times more likely to be absent from their jobs more than five times a year. 

In addition, accidents occur more frequently to stressed out employees. Stressed out workers are more likely to have an accident on the job than those less stressed.  Stress brings on shorter attention spans and fatigue, both heighten the risk for workplace injuries.  With less time to get more work done in a day, short-cuts are taken, often resulting in accidents.

The huge health-care expenses that stress creates, and the serious consequences it can have on employees, highlights why companies and individuals cannot afford to ignore stress.

Managing Job Stress
The good news is, it is possible to manage job stress.  And with a little effort on your part, you can even learn to perform above and beyond your expectations. 

In today’s fast-paced and unpredictable workplaces, it is important to know what helps and hurts your stress levels. Following are five methods to manage your stress at work:

• Plan & Prioritize – don’t panic, set realistic deadlines for yourself, don’t jump to the first idea you have, and always have a plan B ready.
• Slow down – think things through before you act on them, and begin with an end result in mind. If you don’t get it right the first time it will come back to you, resulting in more work and adding to your stress.
• Think outside the box – don’t do things under pressure, search for alternatives that will save you time and money, and put things in a fresh perspective.
• Use all your resources – if things don’t go exactly as you planned, don’t rely only on your internal resources. Outsource your problems to someone reliable.
• Keep in contact – always communicate with internal/external customers. Their priorities and deadlines could change, so you’ll need to stay on top of things.

Stress levels at work can be increased by the following:

• Personalizing criticism,
• Venting in public,
• Pretending and hiding your true feelings, and
• Perpetuating the problem.

Managers can also help their employees reduce their stress by following these guidelines.

• Make sure people are in the right types of jobs.
• Create worker empowerment. Feelings of lack of control can often cause stress and burnout.
• Provide proper training. When employees do not know how or why, anxiety & frustration build.
• Create a listening management.

Getting Help
Everyone experiences periods of stress.  Some stress is normal, but if your feelings of stress become persistent and overwhelming it may be an indication of a serious medical problem. In such a case, you should see your doctor or use your company’s Employee Assistance Program if one is available.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The business community has come to recognize everyday work stresses can negatively affect employees’ attendance, concentration, and their ability to perform on the job.  Because of this, the number of companies adding EAP programs as an employee benefit has substantially increased.

An EAP supplies professional counselors who provide counseling to employees and their families in a safe and private atmosphere.   All the information disclosed will remain confidential, and no contact with your employer will be made without written permission. Using an EAP will not jeopardize your job or chance for promotion.

The EAP program makes a limited number of counseling sessions available at no cost. Should you and your counselor decide that a referral to an outside provider is necessary, those costs will then be your responsibility.

For more information regarding [c_officialname]’s EAP program, please contact your Human Resources Department at [HR_phone].
As the statistics show, stress can negatively affect companies and employees.  That is why it is important for you to take control of stress before it takes control of you.



This brochure is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of insurance professional.
Know Your Employee Benefits is written and produced for My Healthy Tools.
© Zywave, Inc.