the function of stress in the workplace one hour

The Functions of Stress in the Workplace

James D. Tippett Copyright 2010 [email protected]

Accidents Absenteeism Employee turnover Diminished productivity Direct medical, legal, and insurance costs Workers' compensation awards as well as tort and FELA judgments Occupationally Related Suicide

Why am I Here?


We need IT!


What is job Stress

Job stress can be defined as…

“ the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker”.

(Common definition among many sources)

worker


Our View

“Stress is essential to our ability to survive, grow and succeed” “Perception of a current level of threat to our overall well

being…. and our view of our ability to deal with that threat” “The source of, and response to, stressors is learned” “The specific definition of STRESS is different for everyone

and every organization”


Occupational Health Psychology

“Growing field concerned with the psychosocial characteristics of the workplace that

contribute to not only injury, but health related problems”


Stress-a-holics

• Type A’s – “Gimme an Epi fix”

• Our Learned Response

• 20th Century “Disease” – United Nations

• May deal mentally, but effects physically are the same

• Normally Cured by heart attack or stroke


Stress Statistics

• - One-third of Americans feel they are living with extreme stress.

• - About half of Americans (48%) feel that their stress has increased over the past five years.

• - Money and work are the leading causes of stress (mentioned by three quarters of Americans).

• Source: American Psychological Association study, 2007.

James D. Tippett Copyright 2010

[email protected]

Stress Statistics

• Three quarters of Americans experience symptoms related to stress in a given month: - 77% experience physical symptoms - 73% experience psychological symptoms

• Source: American Psychological Association study, 2007.


Stress Statistics

• Health care expenditures are nearly 50% greater for workers who report high levels of stress.

- Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine


25 300


.

More Statistics

• 6 Leading causes of death have been linked to Stress – Cancer, Heart Disease, Lung Ailments, Suicide, Accidents, and Cirrhosis of the liver

• Medical Researchers estimate that stress is now the underlying cause of over 80% of all illness

• Approximately 25% of all prescriptions written in the US every year are for stress controlling drugs such as tranquillizers, anti-depressants and anti- anxiety drugs.

• $300 billion, or 7,500 per employee, is spent annually in the U.S. on stress-related compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, health insurance costs, direct medical expenses and employee turnover


Why?


UK Statistics

• Laws related to Workplace stress reduction

• Statistics provide valid relationships

• Second leading cause of Disability in UK 415,000 cases

• Mandatory Workplace “Stress Tests”


Stress Test


Stress Test

• I have unrealistic Time Pressures

• I have a choice in deciding what I do at work

• My manager encourages me

• I receive respect from co-workers

• I am clear on my roles and responsibilities

• Relationships at work are strained

• Staff are consulted about change at work.


Societal Issues


Number of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. Source - CDC


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1 2 5 10 20 21-30 31 ormore

Mediandays awayfrom work

BLS Days Away From Work

All Injuries

Neurotic reactions tostress


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

White Collar Blue Collar Service

BLS Data by Occupation (Injuries with days away - 1997 - of 3,418 cases)

Neurotic Reaction to Stress %


Workplace Injury and Illness

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Men ................................................. 6639

Women ...............................................33 61

66

33 39

61

BLS Injury Statistics % of total injuries 1997

All Injury and Illness

Neurotic Reaction to Stress


NIOSH on Stress

But…individual and other situational factors can intervene to strengthen or weaken this influence.

According to the NIOSH view, exposure to stressful working conditions (called job stressors) can have a direct influence on worker safety and health.

Source:


Stress Enablers and Artifacts


Sources of Stress in the Workplace

• Traumatic or unexpected events

– Organization

– Group

– Individual

• Interpersonal Relationships

• Environmental

• Economic

• Socio-Political


Sources of Stress in the Workplace

Organization

External Stimulus

Organizational Response

Organizational Impacts

Regulatory

Economy

Competition

Customer

Exec

H.R.

Legal

Sales Your Boss

Organizational Outputs

Happy Productive

Stressed Productive

Stressed Un-Productive

Uber-Stressed Checked Out


Stress Management for the Soul

• Coping Style

• Reactional Analysis

• Sleep, Eat, Move

• Meditation

• Social Network

• Laugh - Lots

• You’re OK – They’re Not


[email protected]

Stress Channeling What do you do?


Coping

• Level of Control (Rubin, Paplau, & Salovey, 1993)

• Predictability (Rubin, Paplau, & Salovey, 1993)

• Optimistic / Pessimistic (Rubin, Paplau, & Salovey, 1993)

• Approach or Avoid (Chang & Strunk, 1999)

• Opportunity or Threat


Reactional Analysis

• Do as I Do –

– What was that all about?

• Friends and Enemies –

– Who is Who?

• Media Think –

– The Sky is falling

• Aggressive Driving –

– Impersonal Aggression


[email protected]

Sleep, Eat, Move

• Sleep – Heart, Melatonin Levels, Stress, Inflammation,

Alertness, Memory, Weight, Anti-Depression, protein production – 8 hours

• Eat – Well balanced

– Small

– Slow

• Move – Exercise (Do anything) for 30 minutes per day!


What’s the worst that could happen ?


What’s Your Change Quotient?


Individual Stress Management at Work

• Time Management

• E-Mail management

• Communication effectiveness

• Culture shift – Circles of Influence

• Stress conditioning

• Take a sip of the Kool-Aid

• Get Over It!


[email protected]

10,080


Stress recovery

Nutrition

Sleep

Coping

Support Network

Perceptions

Level of Control

Duration

Exercise


NOT

• Sabotage or Subversion

• Workplace Violence

• Fear and Intimidation

• Aggression Dump

• Bullying Harassment

• Bingeing


Stress Management for the Organization

• FIRM

• Confront Reality – Brainstorm

• Focus on the Focus

• Organizational Transitions

• Build Ethics and Trust

• Social Intelligence - Accountability

• Celebrate Success


Focus on Common Goal

• Why are we here ?

• Customer Service

• Security

• Business Continuance

• Skills enhancement

• Who is the best at what you do?

• Who is the competition?


Performance Standards

• What is expected of me

• What consequences can I expect if...

• Consistent implementation

• Reasonable / manageable

• Must know roles and function

• Developed by consensus


Circles of Influence


Circles of Influence- GROW


Norms and Values

The way we Do things around here!

Organizational Performance

Review

• The primary function of stress is to drive positive results.

• The source of and response to stressors is learned.

• What the Heck is going on?

• Its not just about me –

– Both organizational and individual solutions must be adopted.


What Has Been Seen,

Can Not Be Unseen!


the function of stress in the workplace one hour

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