Impacts of Stress to Employees and Employer - Research Paper Example

? Managing Stress in the Workplace Managing stress in the workplace Introduction The work environment is characterized by a number of activities, demands and occurrences, which exerts a lot of pressure on the employees due to the high expectation placed on them. Every employer demands the best results from their employees and this creates strain and tension on the employees which results into stressful situations. Stress is a state of being characterized by pressure, anxiety and high expectation from different quarters, which results into unhealthy state of the human mind. Persistent stress in an individual is reflected on the behaviors, responses, result delivery and attitude towards different people within an organization. It is characterized by continued headache, fatigue, lack of motivation to work and deliver severe withdrawal symptoms and depression (Leka, 2003). A number of workplace events create stressful employees and this reduces the overall productivity of the employees as they exhibit severe depression and lack of motivation to work on particular assignments. Stress is caused by time-constrained events, high expectation from the employer, family and relationship problems, job security and related issues and unrealistic deadlines imposed by supervisor. It is worth noting that despite the desire by a company to achieve its objectives within a specified period, the employees are overall responsible for the implementation of the policy and they are psychological beings. Pressure increases the urgency of delivering on a specific assignment but also decreases the productivity as the employees are forced to deal with both job related stress and psychological stress because of the pressures from the employees (Lee, 2000). Stress management at the work place has been given significant time in current management practices at is affects the overall productivity of the business. These are approaches adopted by an organization to significantly reduce stress on its employees and develop mechanisms of dealing with stress in much efficient manner. In managing stress, the negative impacts of stress on both the employer and employee is essential as it provide framework upon which any management and reduction approaches will be based. The paper will seek to provide the best approaches that an organization can develop in the management of stress and the different roles the employees play in these approaches. This paper will also seek to persuade organizational managements that stress management begins with the development of positive policies and regulation and not necessarily the adoption of the health and safety policies (Lee, 2000). Impacts of stress to employees and employer Stress is an all round problem that affects both the employees and the employer in equal proportion since the productivity of the employee is of much concern to the employer. Employees are affected in a number of ways by stressful work environments and these have significant impacts on their personal health, work productivity and the overall stat e of wellbeing. Excessive stress affects the normal brain functioning abilities resulting into significant brain related complications on employees. The brain works well in a stable emotional environment where an individual views the environment positively and enjoys every moment and responsibilities assigned to them (Leka, 2003). However, stress affects the emotional balance of an employee resulting into increased depression, emotional instability and psychological trauma. This affects the normal functioning of the human brain resulting into loss of coordination and concentration for the employees. Headache, fatigue, loss of interest and concentration, loss of appetite and emotional instability and the resultant effects of stressed brain and this affects the normal health of an employee (Lee, 2000). Employees enjoy working in a free environment free of intimidation, stress, strict and punishing deadline, features that characterize stressful workplaces. However, once stress creeps in, absents and clumsiness of the employees results which affects the overall performance of the organizations. Employees absent themselves from stressful work environments due to a number of reasons, which range from mental and psychological. An employee may be admitted for a psychological condition as a result of workplace stress increasing the overall absenteeism index in the company. This affects the smooth running and operations of the business as it lacks resourceful people to run it (Blaung & Lekhi, 2006). Stressed employees transfer their stresses to the people around them like their families, friends and relatives, which results, into increase in family and friends breakup. The high number of divorce cases among working married couples has been attributed to workplace stress by a number of family counselors who attribute lack of commitment to a relationship or marriage to workplace stress. An employee who is overstressed will have to find a place to offload the psychological burden from the stress and more likely person to suffer is the spouse. This stresses the need for the adoption of better stress management approaches for employees who are leading a hoppy social life contribute significantly to the performance of the organization. Suicides and accidents have also been attributed to workplace stress and this arises due to the inability of the employee to meet the high expectation placed on him/her by the employer (Lee, 2000). While employers may feel that the need for their employees to deliver overrides any other thing in the organization, the resultant stress due to the pressure they pace on their employees affect the businesses significantly. In this competitive global business, the health and ability of the employees determines the competitive edge that an organization can gain. This can only exist in an environment where the employees are considerable free and flexible to deliver on the job requirements. Stress reduces employee productivity in a number of ways and the final bearer of this burden is the employer. Employee productivity decreases due to poor work performance which is directly related to the employees psychological stability health. As indicated, workplace stress reduces the employee’s capabilities to perform as expected of them and this creates significant losses to the business. Absents also affects the daily operations of the business and may result into the need for an organization to hire a replacement, a process which may be costly to the business. Employee morale, attitude and motivation also decreases due to workplace stress and this affects their ability to deliver on their mandate significantly (Mackay & Cousins, 2004). This reduces the overall productivity of the business, which affects negatively on the profit earned by the employers and the market position of the business. In the United States, the territory of occupational stress regulation demands employers to compensate employees who have suffered from severe stressful situations due to the pressures of the workplace. This is covered under the worker health act that states that any worker who has suffered from a stressful condition, which can be attributed to the work environment, is liable for compensation. This creates more woes and problems to the employer for he not just loses an employee but also be compelled to pay the employee for the nature of his work environment (Michie, 2002). The management of stress Stress management is a continuous process that requires the development of approaches which appreciates the roles played by different employees and stakeholder to the organization. The management of an organization must first demonstrate their commitment to the management of stress by committing to follow the guidelines set in place to mitigate the challenge. Primarily, an organization must develop a policy that agitates for a stress free work environment and such a policy must be acceptable to all stakeholders including the employees. Through this, the organization can be able to track any sources of employee stress and work on them well before the employees feel its impacts (Gro, 2011). In the management of stress, the development of a proper feedback channel is essential. Through this feedback, an organization has the ability to monitor the views and concerns of the employees and act on them promptly. If for example a supervisor harasses his subjects, a communication and feedback process allows for the communication of such behaviors to the responsible leaders without fear of intimidation. This allows the organization to respond to such incidences without compromising the relationship between the employee and the supervisor but reducing possibility of the incident escalating into a stressful situation. Feedback provides room for exchange between employees at different levels of management in the organization, which is essential in the development of positive relationship between employees and their leaders (Avey, Luthans, & Jensen, 2009). Work schedules and deadlines is one of the major sources of workplace stress in organizations and any stress management approach must address this diligently while weighing on its impacts on both the employee and the employer. An organization is a family where there is need for communication and dialogue without due pressure and intimidation. This makes it possible for managers to provide room for their employees to choose their work schedules and deadlines for different roles. This provides room for employees to work without pressure while keeping in mind the expectations of the employer and the benefit of due diligence. While assigning duties, team leaders and managers should therefore seek for the views of the employees on different roles and how they prefer to deliver them. This will create a friendly environment in which flexibility and time consciousness is encouraged thus increasing the overall productivity of the business (Mackay & Cousins, 2004). Vacations are part of any work assignments and all employees are entitled to them within a specific period of the year as outline in the engagement contract. However, some employees resist the need for vacation and request to work continuously without break or leave. While such employees may fell that they are benefiting the organization and building their careers, lack of vacation affects the mental stability of an employee and this reduces the overall productivity. Organizations must therefore make it compulsory for members to go on vacation or take some time off from work to reduce boredom and fatigue. Use of group and team vacation also provides a better environment for employees to relax and interact with each other far away from the work environment (Gro, 2011). Management of workplace stress through polices as opposed to health and safety regulation Stress is related to the mental and physical status of an individual and this affects their ability to concentrate and deliver on the expectations placed on them. The association of stress with mental health has created a situation where organization use different health and safety polices to reduce its impacts and prevalence. Health and safety approaches have contributed significantly to the development of safe work environment with less stressors and depressive moments. It aims at increasing the workplace safety and the overall health status of the employees with the belief that this will significantly affect the productivity of the employees (Beehr et al, 2000). This is by all means true but cannot be considered as fully effective in reducing workplace stress. In the 21st century, the process of stress reduction and mitigation in an organization depends on business practices and how the management develops and puts in place policies to facilitate a good working environment. A policy in an organization establishes principles and practices that govern the behavior of different managers and employees within the organization. It binds all employees and is respected by all the stakeholders irrespective of their position, influence and control. Due to its strength and legality, policies are easily implemented and respected as opposed to communication and other approaches in a business. From this basis, the approach of stress management from the policy and regulation perspective gives it more weight as opposed to the health and safety approach (Shimazu, Shimazu & Odara, 2005). In establishing policies, an organization must ensure its consistency with the organization’s values and practices and the available legal legislations governing employee rights. These policies are thus supported by law and give employees better ground for claiming compensation in case of injurious workplace stress. Workplace stress is more of a management problem as opposed to operational challenge in a business thus requiring the adoption of better management policies. Health and safety approach seek to address the physical work environment that can be attributed to workplace stress as opposed to the action of the managers and leaders. It agitates for the development of a safe work environment that ensures the consideration of employee welfare. An organization should thus develop better polices and regulatory steps aimed at creating a positive work environment devoid of disrespectful behaviors and policies (Beehr et al, 2000). Stress management at Bank of America and Avon products The success of different organizations in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world is attributed to their ability to manage employee stress and create a better work environment. The bank of America has an exceptional program aimed at managing work place related stress. To reduce the stress on new employees, the company created an onboard system that acts as a socializing club for old and new employees. This program provides room for new employees to interact with others and create a better understanding of the organization and its people. At Avon products, the development of clearer objectives enables employees to understand what is expected of them at any given time. This reduces the anticipatory stress and related struggles which are aimed at delivering yet being unaware of the exact expectations. Comparison of work stress theories According to Dewe et al (2012), a number of theories exist that attempt to explain how different work environments raise or lowers the work related stress. Transactional stress theory views work related stress as a product off the transactions that arises from the individual employee and the environment. The person-environment fit theory however attributes stress to the inability of an employee to fit to the work environment and deliver on the job details. This kind of stress is common among new employees who are still struggling to integrate to the organization’s culture and practices. Conclusion Stress is a universal problem that occurs in all major and minor organizations due to similar causes that affects the success of both employees and employers alike. It creates an environment filled with anxiety, depression, fatigue and mental instability which prevents efficient delivery of services by the employees. Stress management approaches by organizations must seek to address the sources of the stress itself and create a positive work environment for the employee and a positive relationship between the employer and the employee (Shimazu, Shimazu & Odara, 2005). Employees must ensure that their work environments are free from stress and ensure that their desire to deliver on the expectations placed upon them does not override their personal health. The constitution champions for a work environment free from any form of stress and depressive environment that affects the psychological wellbeing of an employee. An employee is thus liable for compensation if he/she can prove that the stress ailment is as a direct result of pressure from the workplace as was the case in Young v The Post Office in 1997. References Avey, J. B., Luthans, F., & Jensen, S. M. (2009). Psychological Capital: A Positive Resource for Combating Employee Stress and Turnover. 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