Stress at the workplace can be a positive thing. It can actually promote motivation, resilience, and even memory. But this kind of stress, also known as eustress can easily tip over and become negative stress, the kind that hinders employees from performing at their best. There’s no doubt that handling stress at the workplace is a balancing act, not only for employees but also for employers. It’s important for employers to remain aware about how stress may deteriorate their workforce and how they can prevent it from happening.
The first common cause for stress at the workplace is when employees feel like they are lacking sufficient information to perform their role. According to a 2015 Wrike survey, 44% of the 1,464 employees surveyed revealed that the lack of clarity in their working environment was stressing them out significantly. When an employee doesn’t know what tasks need to get done or who to report to, the employee will inevitably feel unguided and overwhelmed. Moreover, he or she will not know how to prioritize.
As an employer, the best way to solve this issue is to implement more transparency in companies operations, making sure everything is communicated in a clear manner. Once employees are able to understand the big-picture goals and can visualize themselves being a part of them, employees will stop second-guessing themselves and become more productive.
Another big stress factor in the workplace is having a poor work-life balance. This has always been a problem in the workforce, but technology has actually made it worse. It has opened a window of opportunity for employers to expect to reach their employees around the clock, even when they are not in the office. This has become such a problem that a 2015 study in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology coined the urge employees feel to quickly respond to messaging (like work emails) as “telepressure.” According to the study, telepressure can lead to poor quality of sleep and health issues. What employer would want that for their employees?
The best way to encourage a healthier work-life balance is with flexibility. Employees shouldn’t be taking work home on a regular basis. Some companies even establish what’s referred to as “tech curfews.” For example, during tech curfews you, can set specific times for employees to check correspondence. This way they are not wasting time by constantly checking for emails, but instead they’re focused on the tasks that need to get done by a certain time. Lastly, flextime or telecommuting, where employee are able to still get their work done on time but in line with his or her personal schedule makes employees feel more valued and respected.
These are just a few of the many different stress factors people can encounter at the workplace. But as an employer, these two are some of the most important and effective for de-stressing your office environment. And less stress means more productivity, engagement, and efficiency. Workplace Stress Causes & Solutions
5/20/2016
Stress at the workplace can be a positive thing. It can actually promote motivation, resilience, and even memory. But this kind of stress, also known as eustress can easily tip over and become negative stress, the kind that hinders employees from performing at their best. There’s no doubt that handling stress at the workplace is a balancing act, not only for employees but also for employers. It’s important for employers to remain aware about how stress may deteriorate their workforce and how they can prevent it from happening.
The first common cause for stress at the workplace is when employees feel like they are lacking sufficient information to perform their role. According to a 2015 Wrike survey, 44% of the 1,464 employees surveyed revealed that the lack of clarity in their working environment was stressing them out significantly. When an employee doesn’t know what tasks need to get done or who to report to, the employee will inevitably feel unguided and overwhelmed. Moreover, he or she will not know how to prioritize.
As an employer, the best way to solve this issue is to implement more transparency in companies operations, making sure everything is communicated in a clear manner. Once employees are able to understand the big-picture goals and can visualize themselves being a part of them, employees will stop second-guessing themselves and become more productive.
Another big stress factor in the workplace is having a poor work-life balance. This has always been a problem in the workforce, but technology has actually made it worse. It has opened a window of opportunity for employers to expect to reach their employees around the clock, even when they are not in the office. This has become such a problem that a 2015 study in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology coined the urge employees feel to quickly respond to messaging (like work emails) as “telepressure.” According to the study, telepressure can lead to poor quality of sleep and health issues. What employer would want that for their employees?
The best way to encourage a healthier work-life balance is with flexibility. Employees shouldn’t be taking work home on a regular basis. Some companies even establish what’s referred to as “tech curfews.” For example, during tech curfews you, can set specific times for employees to check correspondence. This way they are not wasting time by constantly checking for emails, but instead they’re focused on the tasks that need to get done by a certain time. Lastly, flextime or telecommuting, where employee are able to still get their work done on time but in line with his or her personal schedule makes employees feel more valued and respected.
These are just a few of the many different stress factors people can encounter at the workplace. But as an employer, these two are some of the most important and effective for de-stressing your office environment. And less stress means more productivity, engagement, and efficiency.