Workplace Stress and it’s Costs

The effects of stress in the workplace can be costly. Executive Operations Manager, Ivan Lasater discusses the costs of workplace stress and how to improve productivity.

Workplace stress can be a real problem when it comes to the bottom line. The costs according to the American Institute of Stress are around $300 billion a year. This includes the costs incurred through health insurance and worker’s compensation, lost days of work, lost productivity while at work, employee assistance programs, and even law suits stemming from illness attributed to stress. The estimated $300 billion in costs aren’t coming out of the company’s pockets alone, they are actually passed on to the consumer and create poor economic conditions for the entire country to bear.

Identifying Common Workplace Stressors

There are a number of stressors in the workplace and identifying them is important. Identifying workplace stressors is the first step in addressing them. Here are some common examples.

Common workplace stressors:

·         Boredom and monotonous work loads

·         Feeling powerless over decision making

·         Excessive hours and burn out

·         Relationships in the workplace, both social and intimate

·         Inequality such as racism or sexism

·         Poor workplace conditions

·         Accidents and injuries on the job

·         Poor management

·         No upward mobility

The physical and psychological effects of these common stressors can create problems for a business and the people who make it work. Fortunately, there are several ways in which these stressors can be addressed. Management must take a clear and effective role in addressing issues of workplace stress. It’s always in the company’s better interests to invest time and money into the health and wellbeing of their employees. It costs more money to hire and train new employees than it does to address the needs of the employees currently employed. Here are some steps that management and employees can take to address these issues.

Addressing workplace stressors:

·         Relax stringent company policies to accommodate priority needs of employees

·         Develop inclusive strategies for planning and work related goals

·         Create open door policies

·         Foster an employee friendly Human Resources Department

·         Implement Employee Assistance Programs (EAP’s) for individuals to cope with stress and addiction, in and out of the workplace

·         Evaluate and lighten the workloads if need be

·         Offer incentives and rewards

·         Give praise and recognition

·         Make healthy options available in the workplace. (i.e.) exercise areas, healthy food, break areas with pleasant scenery and plenty of room

·         Companywide monthly meetings and the freedom to air grievances

Summary

The symptoms of workplace stress can directly affect workplace productivity if not addressed and dealt with appropriately. Employees who experience stress are not always capable of dealing with it in a productive way, (For tips on a healthy balance visit Ivan's blog by clicking this link) and are often times powerless to change the conditions which create it. Management has a role and a responsibility to address the issues that affect productivity and morale in the workplace. Creating strategies to deal with workplace stress can boost the bottom line and enhance the morale of the workplace at the same time. 

Achieve Success through Compassion

The path to success has many avenues. Grand County Oil and Gas Executive, Ivan Lasater discusses how to achieve success through compassion.

What is Success

When someone mentions the word success, what do you think of? I imagine a lot of people would regard success as buying a home, having a family, getting promoted at work, amassing great amounts of money, or even buying that dream car they've always wanted. These of course are all good examples of success depending on who it is you ask. But when you ask someone how it is they plan on achieving that success, the answer you’ll probably get is, “Work hard and save money”.

Taking a different approach to success or integrating techniques you otherwise may not be familiar with can be challenging. Any time we do something new, there is an element of fear or uncertainty that may follow as a result. The mind is a funny thing in that respect but the truth is we as humans would never have evolved to this point without trying something new. The idea of achieving success through compassion is not a new idea, though it may be new to some. People have been doing it for thousands of years.

Elements of Compassion:

Self-awareness

Compassion is comprised of many elements. One of which is self-awareness. This means becoming familiar with your current state. In order to pursue any path in life, a person must be aware of what they are capable of. You wouldn't try to be a rock climber if you weren't physically capable of pulling it off would you? There would have to be a starting point at which you began to exercise and practice and work towards being capable, otherwise you could be in great peril. Having a realistic grasp on who you are in this moment is the first step in building your potential.

Self-Discipline

Being aware of who you are can open the opportunity for self-discipline. Once you have recognized those parts of yourself that you’d like to begin to exercise, then you can begin the work of focusing your time and energy into practicing. Practice is how to develop the discipline. When someone says they are adept at a particular discipline, it means they have committed themselves to practicing something over and over again until it becomes second nature.

Do away with distraction

Focus in any area can be hard if our mind stands in the way. Negative thoughts, resentments, and self-doubt can deter even the strongest of people from progressing in the direction they truly desire to go. Also, getting caught up in the unforgiving nature of self-doubt can cause one to make excuses or shirk responsibility in pivotal situations where accepting responsibility may be difficult but absolutely necessary for progress. Anger and resentment offer up plenty of opportunity for shirking responsibility because casting blame is what causes anger and resentment. So ridding the mind of these thoughts is the best way to develop self-discipline.

Equanimity

The next element of compassion is the ability to see others as equal to yourself. Every day in society we see and experience the effects of inequality. It feels oppressive and cumbersome like a weight that holds people down and keeps them in their imaginary place. Envision a world where everybody viewed each other as equally deserving of love and appreciation. It would be hard to judge others when seeing them as equal with yourself, right? This leads us to the final element of unconditional love.

Unconditional Love

Unconditional love means to love without placing conditions on someone in order to receive or be deserving of that love. The power of the heart can carry with it unlimited amounts of positive energy. Think about it. Who do you profess to love the most in life? Would you tell that person that in order for you to feel that way about them, they would have to be a certain way? It kind of spoils the mood don’t you think? Picture them in your head and just allow yourself to feel that energy of the heart emanate throughout your body. It’s a beautiful feeling and believe it or not, as you’re doing it, your entire body is making a sensational transformation. Now imagine feeling that for everybody in the world. That is the feeling of true compassion.

No Substitutions

You may be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with success?” In any endeavor where success is the goal, compassion will enable you to lift those around you to the level you hope to achieve. The sacrifices you’ll make will be small because the rewards will be greater than you’d hope to achieve. The world carries itself on its shoulders when compassion comes into play. All the material possessions in the world could never equal the success a person could achieve within themselves by generating compassion. Material possessions are not the source of happiness. How could they be? They don’t feel compassion. But generate compassion for those around you and you’ll find yourself rising with the tide you create.