| Increased Stress
Equals Decreased Productivity Today's
competitive business environment has given birth to the overworked,
stressed out employee. The affect of this stress is far reaching - not
only do your employees suffer, but customers suffer, profits suffer and
your bottom line suffers. Employers are naive to think that the more work
they pile on their employees, the better the employee performs. Employers
need to be sensitive to the stress levels of their employees and they must
learn how to spot signs of stress and ultimately create a more healthy
work environment.
Common signs of stress include:
- Absenteeism
- Irritability
- Negativity
- Confusion and error
Once a supervisor has detected the stress, it is critical to get to the
root of the problem. It is not enough to identify and acknowledge the
stress; a good supervisor will dig deeper and find the root of the stress.
Create an environment where people feel that they can openly and without
fear of repercussion discuss the stresses that they are encountering. Go
one step further and schedule regular meetings where employees are invited
to discuss what they like or don't like about their job and obstacles that
are standing in the way of the successful completion of their work - be
sure to stay focused on work related issues.
Once a supervisor has identified the stresses it is equally important
to make a genuine commitment to create a more positive work environment
and communicate it to all employees. Some great ideas that go along way to
reduce stress are:
- Encourage humor in the workplace
- Create a positive work environment
- Create work flexibility
In order to keep your employees happy, productivity levels up and
stress levels down, remember to look for indicators of stress, work to
identify the sources and strive to achieve a more positive work
environment.
For tips for your employees see Stress
Reducing Tips for Employees.
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