Easing Workplace Stress
02/27/07
Work-related stress is a persistent problem for employers. Unfortunately, high stress levels can cause low morale, low productivity, higher absenteeism, increased turnover and attendant recruiting and training costs. Many employers, therefore, are seeking cost-effective ways to reduce the levels of work-related stress.
Some of the more innovative methods include: And the ever-popular:There are other methods that are less frequently practiced. For example, only 13 percent of employers offer a meditation room in the workplace. But when such a room is made available, over half of all employees participate. Other employers allow workers to bring pets to work, or even offer lunchtime yoga classes.
Increasingly, employers are offering employee assistance plans. Originally started to help employees deal with substance abuse problems, modern EAPs are growing increasingly holistic, offering assistance for employees suffering from depression to financial problems to domestic violence. These programs and benefits can provide a vital safety valve for employees who may be able to address problems before they spill over into the workplace.
Not all benefits have the same perceived value by all employees. For example, a recent study by Oxford Health Plans, Inc. found that women were twice as likely to take advantage of free workplace massage therapy than their male counterparts, while younger workers (ages 18 to 34) were more than twice as likely to sign up for a free fitness club membership than their older counterparts (ages 35 and 44). The key is to know your employees, and keep their interests in mind. One option: Provide a menu of perks that grant the employees flexibility to choose those benefits which best fit their lifestyles.
The idea, ultimately, is that employees who experience less stress at work will become more productive, with fewer illnesses and lower absentee rates.
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