How do the organization and the leader contribute to stress in the workplace?

Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills. Aside from the medical bills, what else is affected by stress ailments? Workers’ productivity.

As you look around your office, you may see people who embody the idea of productivity. But looks can be deceiving. Many workers may feel that the workplace is a breeding ground for stress, which can slowly chip away at the collective morale of the office. Stress may also affect the individual spirit of the company’s most valuable employees, causing their productivity to decrease.

To understand the decreased levels of employee productivity, you must first understand some of the common causes of workers’ stress. Here are five common causes of stress in the workplace.

1. Job demands and rewards

The increased level of stress and the decreased level of productivity may be due to excessive demands. These may include:

Too many tasks assigned at once

Too many hours on the job

A lack of a reward or a break

There may also be additional stress for the employee if they believe that they are not adequately trained or qualified for the work that their job demands.

2. Unclear communication between supervisors and employees

Workers have different needs for the amount of instruction they require to complete a task. The supervisor’s instruction for the worker may be insufficient, leading to a lack of communication. Conflicting instructions from different workplace authority figures may also lead to confusion about accurate priorities and deadlines.

3. Insufficient support from a supervisor

If the supervisor does not occasionally take time to acknowledge the effort, quality, or positive aspects of the employee’s work, the employee may feel stressed. Some employees may even leave their jobs because of the lack of support provided and the increased level of stress.

4. Social support stress is related to the lack of support from associates.

Others in the company may not support, acknowledge, or praise their fellow employees for their contributions. Excessive competition and a lack of encouragement may lead to feelings of intense pressure and stress for the employees of a company.

5. Job security stress can be caused by:

An unstable financial situation for the company

An unstable financial situation for the employee

General economic conditions

Rumors about the future of the company or its leaders

Downsizing business

Discontinued products or services within the company

All of these factors impact the employee’s sense of their personal job security. When their job security is threatened, they may feel pressured to either relocate to a new company, or to compete for their job if the company is in the process of downsizing. Making decisions that will affect their future careers and their current job security may lead to high levels of stress.

One of the biggest solutions for handling these stressful challenges is by using effective communication. Demonstrating that you, a business owner, effectively listen and care about your individual employees will ultimately lead to lower levels of stress and higher levels of productivity for your company.

Call us at 603-763-9770 if you are interested in identifying some common stressors within your professional environment. Our Stress Assessment is available both for individuals and for groups.