Stress in the American Workplace

Anyone who works has had it, job stress. the A 2000 Gallup Poll sponsored by the Marlin Company found that 80% of American workers say they feel stress on the job and need help learning how to manage this stress.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health share more alarming statistics about workplace stress. Seventy-five percent of employees feel that on-the-job stress is worse than it was a generation ago. Forty percent of workers view their jobs as extremely stressful. Twenty-six percent of these workers say their jobs make them feel "burned out."

Workplace violence is also reported to be on the increase in large part due to the enormous amount of stress workers find themselves under. This is giving increase to terms such as going postal, desk rage, and phone rage. Should our jobs cause us "rage?" This is a very scary thought.

Some of the reasons workers report for the alarming amount of stress in their jobs is the increasing amount of "job insecurity." Massive layoffs and business closures are contributing factors. A 2009 report by the Center for American Progress states the United States economy lost approximately 3.6 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007. Another job stress factor is long job hours. Americans are working longer and harder and spending less time on leisure activities.

Occupational stresses are costing Americans big time money. The price tag for related workplace stress disorders in the United States is estimated at $300 billion annually. Common workplace ailments related to stress include headaches, back ailments, and fatigue. The growing medical problems of workplace stress are also contributing to employee absenteeism. A 2000 survey conducted including 300 companies and 800,000 workers and reported that the number of employees calling in sick has more than tripled between the years of 1996 and 2000.

People have to work. Jobs are stressful. What is the answer? The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health gives some advice worth noting. Organizations can help their employees by opening the lines of communication and helping to remove workplace stressors. Employers have a responsibility to talk to their employees and find out about stressful workplace habits, difficulties with work assignments, and to take steps to introduce changes that make the workplace a less stressful environment.

On a personal level, there is much an employee can do for themselves to relieve workplace stress. First of all, you should realize that all stress is not bad. Stress can motivate us to turns negatives into positives and work hard to reach our goals in both the workplace and our personal lives. One factor that will help you immensely is to take an inventory of how you spend your day and learn some effective time management tools. How can I do the same job effectively in less time? This will give you more time for relaxation before the amount of stress in your life becomes overwhelming.

Stay away from negative people. Do not be a part of "office gossip." Surround yourself with positive and forward thinking people. You will soon find their positive attitude rubbing off on you. Do not stress over people you cannot get along with. Let it go. No one is going to like or get along with everyone at their workplace. A good strategy here is "live and let live."

Break your normal routine. You will be surprised at what a lift doing something out of the ordinary will give you! If you go to a fast food restaurant everyday, skip it. Instead, grab a healthy salad and go for a walk in the park. Physical exercise is an enormous stress reliever.

Do not be afraid to talk to your supervisor. Any supervisor who is concerned with his department or organization performing well will welcome your visit to talk about ways to relieve your workplace stress. Perhaps he or she can suggest ways to make your job less stressful. The worst thing you can do is take no action. If you do not take action, things will stay the same and your workplace stress will continue to be a problem you will have to endure.

Sources:

http://74.6.239.67/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=job+stress&fr=yfp-t-701&u=www.stress.org/job.htm&w=job+stress&d=Cky1i929UGRZ&icp=1&.intl=us&sig=0khPpezX88WN7OxqE.Ar7g--

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/02/job_losses_continue.html

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/87-111.pdf

http://www.mysolutionspot.com/office-culture/how-to-deal-with-workplace-stress-2010/