| The United Nations declares workplace stress | | | | |
| to be a worldwide epidemic. In the United | | | | ++ Including employee in making decisions |
| States alone, forty-six percent of workers | | | | thataffect their jobs |
| report that their job is very stressful. | | | | |
| This adds up to a million stress related | | | | ++ Avoiding excessive overtime, even if there |
| workplace absences each day. | | | | isadditional compensation |
| | | | |
| Individual stress control techniques are | | | | ++ Distributing unpleasant tasks fairly |
| important. Meditation, soothing music, | | | | |
| biofeedback, and other techniques work well | | | | ++ Enforcing policies equally throughout |
| to help people cope with the stress of our | | | | theorganization, from top to bottom |
| modern workplace. | | | | |
| | | | ++ Implementing problem-solving strategies |
| The real solution, however, is to recognize | | | | andacceptable mediation of conflicts |
| that stress control is a leadership | | | | |
| responsibility. Leaders and managers can do | | | | ++ Using family stress control strategies |
| more to control stress than all of the | | | | tominimize the impact of family |
| individual stress relief techniques | | | | separationcaused by travel or long office |
| combined. Leaders who implement stress | | | | hours |
| control strategies see the results in | | | | |
| reduced absenteeism, medical costs, health | | | | ++ Demonstrating concern for employee welfare |
| care insurance expenses, workers comp | | | | |
| payments, accidents, complaints, and so on. | | | | ++ Eliminating or minimizing intolerable |
| | | | conditionssuch as temperature, hazards, |
| The following 13 stress control strategies | | | | noise, light, andodors |
| minimize costs such as these and productivity | | | | |
| soars. The workplace is improved. Employees | | | | It is difficult to remove some of these |
| and their families are happier. Business | | | | stressors when the competition is attacking |
| owners make more money. | | | | your company or when you are faced with |
| | | | unfavorable economic conditions, but this |
| Management can control stress by: | | | | challenge is just as important as anything |
| | | | else facing those who wear the mantle of |
| ++ Eliminating unreasonable expectations | | | | leadership. Making all of these changes can |
| | | | seem overwhelming. However, you can make an |
| ++ Positioning people in jobs that use | | | | impact by selecting a single strategy and |
| theirskills and abilities | | | | making a plan to improve it. |
| | | | |
| ++ Adjusting pay for the level of | | | | Just as corporate leaders are responsible for |
| responsibilityassigned to individuals | | | | maximizing performance and increasing net |
| | | | profits, they are also responsible for |
| ++ Correcting vague and arbitrary | | | | controlling stressors that affect the bottom |
| promotionpolicies | | | | line. |