...The Stress Management Program for Best Buy INTRODUCTION The anxious feelings, sweaty palms, wondering how you will get everything done on time, wondering when you will see your family in between the long work hours, dealing with a micro-managing supervisor or unproductive co-workers that push their work on to you, or even the peer that says they enjoy deadlines! These are all depictions of what we call “stress”. While a certain amount of stress is needed to motivate individuals into action, called eustress, when an individual experiences anxiety and physical tension as demands are placed on them which exceed their abilities to cope, distress occurs (McShane & Von Glinow, 2008). Stress in the workplace is becoming a major concern for employees, employers, managers and government agencies. Workplace stress can be defined as the change in one’s physical or mental state in response to workplaces that pose an appraised challenge or threat to that employee (Colligan & Higgins, 2005). Stress research pioneer, Hans Selye, determined that people have a fairly consistent physiological response to stressful situations, called the general adaptation syndrome, providing an automatic defense system to help us cope with environmental demands (McShane & Von Glinow, 2008). More specifically, the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome: alarm (alerts the person to the situation and prepares for the resistance stage), resistance (shut down of the body’s immune system...
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...Summary Stress is a term we all are aware of, and it is experienced by people in their different workplaces. Stress in the workplace is detrimental to human health and organization when it comes to productivity, performance standards and job satisfaction. Organizations whose workers are stressed are likely to be successful in a competitive market. Workers who are stressed are more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive and less safe at work. Stress can be destructive in a way that, after reaching a certain point, the performance of the employees begins to reduce also which prevents fulfillment of work and various assignments. The following are the causes of stress in the workplace; Exhaustion (weakens the employees mentally and physically), moral injury (destructive of self-esteem of employees or lack of confidence in their abilities, discrimination), illness of the employees (feeling of irritation, uncertainty, guilt or mistrust), violence (damage to the property of the employees or organization), long hours, lack of rewards or incentives by the managers and managers lackadaisical attitude to employees. Stress can be brought to a minimal level; to prevent stress, we have to identify, know the causes and prevent it. The reduction or elimination of stress are the employee’s participation in the management, improvement of communication skills of managers, adequate training should be given to employees in other to prevent negligence of training which...
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...Workplace stress is the “harmful physical and emotional responses that can happen when there is a conflict between job demands on the employee and the amount of control an employee has over meeting these demands.” (“Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety,” 2008) Workplace stress could be caused by fear of being laid off or pressure to perform meeting expectations. Whatsoever the cause may be, there are companies or government organization program that offers services as a part of benefits to employees. The aim of this paper is to discuss the different methods the human resource management can help employees to overcome workplace stress and how the various elements of the stress reduction program addresses the six areas of organizational life which are amount of workload, amount of control, rewards system, interaction with a sense of community, fairness and values. Two journal articles are analyzed in this paper. The first article is the main focus of this paper because it illustrates the workplace of a man named Alan Logan who works at Huntington Hospital, the article is by Tyler (2006) on “stress management”. The second article is by Sidle (2008) on “workplace stress management interventions: what works best?” Occupational stressors can result from job dissatisfaction to work environment. Most people who are not satisfied with their jobs for reasons such as the salary or the condition of the workplace tend to get frustrated easily which causes workplace...
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...Stress in the Workplace Do I have to go to work tomorrow? This is the question on most Americans minds on Sunday evening while they are enjoying the last few hours of the weekend. Just the thought of getting up early the next morning and having to go into work can cause some unhappy thoughts! A lot of this is due to being stressed in the workplace due to powerlessness which is not having control over certain situations and being the in between person, not being in the ideal position that they’d like to be in, having to deal with traumatic events, and the type of setting and environment that they work in. Then, in this economy, workers have to deal with the stress of even keeping their jobs and having job security until retirement. When working with the feeling of powerlessness, they are often stressed due to the fact that they have no control over the schedule of events and deadlines that they need to meet. Having to make a presentation for your boss at the last minute or being the person to call and inform every one of the meeting that your boss is having can be very stressful. Secretaries and waitresses are often among those with a highly stressed occupation. They feel as if they have too much responsibility and too little power to change things the way they see fit, which can become frustrating. Another reason for stress in the workplace is because some people are simply not happy with the position that they are in. Some people only take a job for the paycheck...
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...influence of stress factors in the workplace. Nevertheless, even today, managers and leaders seem to ignore how this psychological aspect affects the workplace. In organisational settings, stress can generate very significant consequences on a number of different aspects, including employee motivation. For this reason managers and leaders must consider stress factors and provide effective stress management initiatives in the workplace (Nikkos et al., 2010). This paper will outline the main aspects of stress in the workplace and how it affect employers in organisational settings. The effect of stress in the workplace can have dramatic consequences within the workplace. Stress can affect the employee’s behaviour with other employees, Stress can significantly reduce employee concentration and even affect mood swings. Stress also reduces the likeliness of the success of any motivation techniques implemented by managers and leaders. Motivation plays a very important role in all organisations. Generally, high levels of employee motivation can have a positive effect for business entities, helping them to achieve success and organisational aims. Different experts have investigated the subject. The examination of the notion of motivation within work settings has become the focus of the work of several theories of management science. Employees must be motivated to work effectively and efficiently. Stress can lower...
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...webinar “Stress in the Workplace: meeting the challenge” co-sponsored by the national Women’s Health Resource center, the leading independent health information source for women. this white paper offers comprehensive research about the causes and impact of workplace stress, its role in lost productivity and higher healthcare costs and includes the effects of job stress on women workers. the research also reviews successful organizational and individual strategies to help manage stress and reduce costs. Following these strategies can help reduce absenteeism and turnover, help employees better balance work/life responsibilities, and also reduce healthcare costs. about health aDVocate™, inc. Health Advocate, inc., the nation’s leading independent healthcare advocacy and assistance company, serves more than 5,000 clients nationwide, providing more than 15 million Americans with personalized help to resolve healthcare and insurance-related issues. the company offers a spectrum of advocacy, Wellness, Pricing decision Support and Human Resources solutions to help save time and money. the company also offers a direct-to-consumer advocacy service, called Health Proponent ®, to individuals who are not part of groups. For more information, contact Health Advocate (toll-free) at: 1-866-385-8033, prompt #2 or via email at info@HealthAdvocate.com. st r e ss i n t he wor k p l a c e t me e t ing t he chal l en g e he alarming spike in the incidence of reported stress among employees...
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...STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE: CAUSES, EFFECTS AND HOW WE COPE Introduction In a world of constant technological and industrial advancement on a daily basis it seems, one would expect that our lives should be easier than say 30, 40, or 50 years ago. Internet access, computer and other advancements have certainly made our lives easier in some ways, but one thing that hasn’t happened is a decrease in stress. It seems the more we have the more we want, and the more we do not achieve what we want, the more stressed we become, in our personal and professional lives. Employers have always been faced with the challenge of finding the perfect employees, just as individuals are searching for the perfect place of employment. Part of this is not only the potential candidate’s personality, and how they will handle a particular job and its responsibilities; but part of the challenge is provide incentives and benefits that will entice the perfect employees. Stress can be a major factor in any job situation and not only is it an issue of how an individual handles stress, but also how an employer combats stress in the workplace through different protocols or benefits provided to the employees. The focus of this paper will be stress in our workplace environments. Causes There are many causes of stresses (or stressors) in the workplace, no matter what trade, industry or profession one considers. The stressors however will be specific to the job. There can...
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...Stress and the Work Environment When it comes to stress, women today are juggling more obligations than in the past and feeling the strain. Job pressure, heavy workloads, time management, and other work issues can cause negative responses both physically and emotionally. Defining the word stress is the beginning of understanding and believing there is a problem. Once it is understood, changes can be made to lessen stress and allow the female employee the tools to be successful in the working environment. The definition of stress according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is: d : a state resulting from a stress; especially : one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium <job-related stress> According to Rabin (2010), women who are stressed at work, have a 40 percent increase in cardiovascular disease over all, and an 88 percent increase in risk for heart attacks alone. There is a clear need for stress management and employers to understand in this case there is no equality between the sexes. Stress at work is becoming serious, Tyson (2006), it is estimated that each year 9.1 million workdays are lost due to stress. There is growing evidence that not only can stress cause cardiovascular disease, it can cause anxiety disorder, social isolation, and burn out among other issues. According to the website National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH): Gender-specific work stress factors...
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...Definition of workplace stress can be described as the physical and emotional outcomes that occur when there is disparity between the demands of the job and the amount of control the individual has in meeting those demands. anytime stress occurs, it is an indication that the demands placed upon the person have exceeded the persons personal resources, whether these resources are physical, emotional, economic, social, or spiritual. When an elderly loses the capacity to guide his or her own care, decision-making becomes the legal and moral domain of the family. Elder prefer this arrangement and traditionally, families expect to become caregivers and decision-makers for aging parents. The family surrogates described their decision-making as a process based in the families’ stories and as extension of the elders’ identities’. At times family members must balance the elders’ freedom and best interest, self-determination and dependence on others, or individual choice and collective pressure. The most common element surrounding ALL Eating Disorders is the inherent presence of a low self esteem Having an Eating Disorder is much more than just being on a diet. An Eating Disorder is an illness that permeates all aspects of each sufferer's life, is caused by a variety of emotional factors and influences, and has profound effects on the people suffering and their loved ones. Dieting is about losing a little bit of weight in a healthy way. Eating Disorders are about trying to make...
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...amount of stress can help motivate and stimulate a person to achieve results, prolonged periods of stress can be damaging not only to a person’s work performance but also to their overall health. Too much stress can become a problem when it begins to affect a person’s health. If stress is experienced for an extended period of time the strain this puts on a person’s body can lead to a weakened immune system which can lead to a person becoming run down with common coughs and colds. This can have a knock on effect, because a person is ill they may require time off work causing them to fall behind in tasks leading to more stress. Stress can also lead to insomnia if a person is kept awake stressing over problems and inadequate sleep can further weaken the immune system. A persons job performance can be severely affected by stress, feeling run down can mean a person is unable to reach their peak performance levels. Stress can also be costly for a business if workers need to take time off to deal with stress related issues business’ are then required to pay sick leave to the employee taking time off, as well as bring in extra staff or hire temporary staff to cover the absences. A person inherit personality can have a major effect on the way they deal with stressful situations. Type A personalities tend to be more rushed, ambitious, driven, structured and goal orientated. If not managed these personality traits can lead to individuals being more susceptible to stress. Those people...
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...disputes by creating a stress-free work place Stress is an adaptive response, moderated by individual an difference that is a consequence of any action, situation or event that places special demands on a person. In the workplace there are numerous reasons for an employee to attain stress. Stress in the work place has been an issue for years for various reasons. Sources have said that a few reasons for stress are work overload, role conflict ,hostile and incompetent bosses , lack of person fit of a job , etc.(Defrank, Ivancevich] These have all been a common issue for years. Workplace stressors are working conditions that increase the risk of workplace stress. Stressors are classified as psychosocial or physical. Psychosocial stressors (or psychosocial working conditions) include job demands, job control, job insecurity, bullying, harassment and more(Reducing Stress in the Workplace). Physical stressors include noise and ergonomic exposures (e.g. awkward working postures, repetitive movements) (Reducing Stress in the Workplace). Resources might include an individual's occupational skills, job experience or education, or organisational resources such as machinery, raw materials or staffing levels. This needs to be prevented in order to create a more efficient workplace. Evidence supports the statement that if organizations focused more here employees stress rate that the results of the company would be more successful .(Defrank, Ivancevich]. Stress related claims were the...
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...Effective Strategies for Managing Stress in the Workplace In today’s uncertain economic times, stress in the workplace is taking its toll on managers and employees from Wall Street to Main Street. Dealing with stress regarding budget cuts, possible layoffs, diversity issues, personality conflicts, and a wide range of other concerns can cause serious implications in the workplace. Identifying potential stressors early on is crucial to the well-being of employees. This review provides strategies that management can utilize in order to obtain balance in the office. Taking steps to avert or ease tension in the workplace is key to the overall success of an organization. According to Webster’s Dictionary (2005), stress is defined as mental or physical tension (p.638). This definition encompasses a wide range of possibilities. The reality is that stress is a part of everyday life. All of us experience some form of stress on a daily basis. Unhealthy levels of stress can have serious implications in the office if issues are unresolved. Fortunately, there are warning signs: loss of confidence, irritability, decrease in productivity, and an increase in sick/personal days. Personality differences among employees can lead to a tense and less productive work environment. Differences in race, gender, religious conviction, sexual orientation, and age can cause fear and uneasiness among employees. These feelings are often associated with confusion or powerlessness. Diversity and sensitivity...
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...Causes of Workplace Stress There are many factors that can exacerbate the causes of stress in the workplace. The challenges faced by people in the workplace make the job more exciting and interesting. However, there are challenges that can also have negative effects. The normal reaction to stress is tension, anxiety and excitement and work-life goes back to normal after a while. If however, the stress becomes overwhelming or if it happens too often, there can be a problem getting back to the normal state and one is no longer able to relax. The most common causes of stress in the workplace are the following: • Demands at work become too extreme or excessive • There is disproportion between the workload and the abilities of the employees • Fear for security of employment as a result of massive layoffs • Ineffective management which makes employees feel they are in a dead end • Dealing with reorganizations in the workplace • Dealing with workplace bullies • Dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace • Information overload which causes mental stress • A poor physical working environment • Employees who fear they will be declared as redundant Demands can be seen as a result of technological advances that make work more efficient but in the end, eventually require employees to perform more tasks. This is the contemporary cause of workplace stress. Expansion of technology demands that workers constantly perform near their peak, be competitive and constantly...
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...Week#2: Stress and Illness in the Workplace Matrix HCA/250 Helene Garcia 2/10/2012 Serina Madden Associate Level Material Stress and Illness in the Workplace Matrix Use the following table to describe the relationship between stress and health in the workplace and to identify ways to reduce stress in the workplace. If you use additional sources, include citations consistent with APA guidelines. What is the relationship between stress and health in the workplace? | Stress and health are directly affected by our place of work. I view it like this: we are often surrounded by our coworkers, more than we are by our extended families. For this reason, the level of stress that a particular work environment may cause can be detrimental to a person’s health. When anyone is stressed, it can create a number of problems with their health. For example, my aunt was a social worker for 20 years in New York. Her career was so stressful that when she returned from a one- week vacation, she was so overwhelmed and stressed out by her work load; she had a stroke that forced her into early retirement. | Identify a situation in which you experienced stress in the workplace or provide a fictional example. | A very recent encounter that I actually had experienced stress in my workplace was one that involved my boss and me alone. I had been scheduled to work 4 late shifts, out of 5 working days. Every other employee only had to work 1 late shift. I brought it to her attention...
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...There are many stressors that come with working. We all stress at work, whether it be from not getting enough sleep, or from other co workers getting to you. Stress can always have an effect on our health. It can cause high blood pressure or even anxiety and depression. Mental health is directly related to physical health in everyday life and in the workplace. I work in an assisted living facility; therefore, I go through many situations that have caused me stress. One day there was lots of things to do, and I was running around like crazy, trying to get things done. I noticed that one of my co workers was standing there in the corner texting on her cell phone so I asked her to help me do a few things. She told me that she thought I had it handled so she was just going to continue texting. I was really upset and really had to keep my cool because I was at work. I had to go outside and collect myself, and then calmly finish my duties. The next day I went to my supervisor and explained the situation, and come to find out, that was not the first time someone complained about that person. She ended up getting let go a couple weeks later. There are many ways to reduce stress in the workplace. There are was to reduce stress in the workplace before it happens. Eating the right foods is a great way to help you have energy and reduce stress. Exercising is another way to reduce stress. Sometimes, you just need to take a time out. Taking a break by walking outside or something, really...
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