One major pattern is when an employee consistently calls off work on a Monday or a Friday. These two days are usually used to extend a weekend to alleviate the stress from work. The individual may also be calling off those specific days to go on a weekend vacation or other event. Taking a day off on a Monday may mean the individual may not want to come back to work due to anxiety or stress.

Another pattern employers should take note of is when the employee does not care about the work quality they are submitting. If there are continuous errors that become a habit, some type of corrective procedure should follow. A sign of stress is when these habits are corrected, the individual becomes aggressive or defensive. One of the main causes of work stress is a fear of a layoff of demotion.

Often times there is a simple solution to this problem. Simply changing the worker’s job duties slightly may change their attitude about their job. Many companies use the strategy to cross training their employees so that there is always something new to learn.

Many companies just do not seem to realize the effects office or work stress can cause an individual. It may not seem plausible, but an otherwise healthy individual can physically become ill from too much stress. This stress will lead to dissatisfaction with work which will result in a less productive team member. All managers and upper management should be trained to recognize and help employees that show signs of stress. If stress is experienced for a long period of time and is unrecognized, a doctor does have the authority to excuse them from work for an extended period of time. It is essential to have frequent staff meetings as well as individual meetings to discover any peculiar behavior.

For more information on work and office related stress, there is a lot of research as well as signs and symptoms on an internet search. It may be useful to gather this information for a manager’s meeting to reduce the stress at the company.

In a telephone survey commissioned by Integra Realty Resources, Inc, nearly one-third of 1,305 workers who responded admitted to yelling at someone in the office, and 65% said workplace stress is at least occasionally a problem for them. Work stress had driven 23% of the respondents to tears, and 34% blamed their jobs for a loss of sleep.

In a separate study published in the quarterly journal Organizational Dynamics, it was found that workers who experienced rude behavior at work had reactions that were negative for business. Nearly one-third of them admitted intentionally decreasing their commitment to the company, with a quarter indicating that they stopped doing their best. Almost 12% of the rudeness recipients quit their jobs to search for friendlier environments.

Workplace stress is not new, but many experts and workers feel that it is at epidemic levels. Several economic and social trends have escalated tensions or at least made employees more sensitized to stress. Years of layoffs and downsizing have left a lingering sense of job insecurity for many workers while demands for productivity have increased.

At the same time, the nature of the American workforce has changed. It is more diverse, includes more women, and multiple generations, which can exacerbate on-the-job tensions. There is a sense that the technology that was suppose to make jobs easier, from cell phones to e-mails, have turned into high-tech leases. Referred to as ‘technology tethers’ by C. Leslie Charles in her book, Why Is Everyone So Cranky? She feels American workers are overwhelmed, overworked, overscheduled and overspent.

‘We’re leading these non-stop lives, and we’re continuing to accelerate the pace,’ according to Charles. ‘We are so preoccupied with what we’re doing and what’s next that we have an inability to process what’s just happened or what’s bugging us.’

Charles recommends the following tools to de-stress your work life:

Fortify your ‘emotional immune system (EIS)’ When exposed to ‘crankiness," stop and quantify the problem and put it in perspective. Is this a small, medium or large annoyance? Or something more serious? How large of a response is required? Make your reaction match the size of the problem.

Take a ‘Reality Bite." Expecting, waiting and hoping for things to be different in our lives only increases our susceptibility for crankiness. Expect some parts of life to be frustrating; you will wait in lines that are too long, people will do things that irritate you, and you will encounter inconvenience more days than not. Accept this reality. Let it roll off your back and smile. It may not change what is happening, but you will feel better.

Take time out for a Personal Battery Recharge. What do you really enjoy doing? When was the last time you did it? Take the time to recharge. Whether a game of golf, a walk with your spouse or reading a book, take the time for renewal as often as possible.

Is Workplace Stress Necessary?

Workplace stress is one of the most difficu…   Read more…

Be intelligent about workplace stress – Jan Norman on Small …

Today’s tip is from Steve Davidson, a Newport Be…   Read more…