Getting a grip on stress: What HR managers must do to prevent burnout and turnover

Getting a Grip on Stress: What HR Managers Must Do toPrevent Burnout and Turnover

Bob Losyk

© 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ert.20093

This article takes a look at the devastat-ing impact stress is having on the U.S.

workplace. It makes the case for the criti-cal need for HR managers to create inter-ventions to lower the levels of stress inemployees, which is a significant causalfactor of burnout and turnover. It then dis-cusses what HR managers can do to makechanges within their organizations. Theimplementation of a stress audit or ques-tionnaire is discussed. This is followed bydiscussion of such interventions as stressmanagement training and the creation of ahealth and wellness program. Numerousother successful, proven ideas are giventhat are cost-effective in reducing stress inany organization.

The U.S. workplace is sick. Fear, anxiety,anger, depression, and burnout run rampantin stress-filled companies. Desk rage, phonerage, rudeness, and violent acts in the work-place make HR professionals shudder andsometimes wonder whether their own jobdescription has been reinvented to includebeing a psychologist. Loss of jobs, outsourc-ing, jobless recovery, and world events suchas war and terrorism are all making workersmore anxious, tense, and depressed. Manyemployees have been forced to do the workof two or three people due to reductions inforce. People take this stress home withthem, where it has a negative impact on theirfamily and friends.

The stress encountered by today’s employ-ees runs unabated and is creating some dis-turbing trends. The American Institute ofStress states that illnesses related to stresscost more than $300 billion per year(www.stress.org/job.htm). The Marlin Com-pany, a Connecticut-based workplace com-munications firm, conducts a yearly surveyon employee attitudes. Its 2003 survey foundthat employee stress levels from the work-place continue to rise. The survey also statesthat employees have observed an increase instress-related illnesses and emotional prob-lems as well as lower morale compared withthose conditions one year ago.

Stress takes its toll in many ways, detract-ing from a company’s profitability and abilityto grow. No organization, whether nonprofitor for-profit, is immune from its dire impact.Uncertainty and insecurity create fear andapprehension in people. If employees arealways worried, they cannot fully focus ontheir jobs. They become disengaged; they arepresent but not focused. They may workmore hours but are less productive and moreprone to mistakes. Process improvement isan afterthought. Safety goes down, andinjuries and illnesses go up.

Decreased performance, less teamwork,low morale, increased health costs and work-ers’ compensation claims, lawsuits, latenessand absenteeism, theft, and sabotage are allresults of out-of-control stress levels in work-

9

Employment Relations Today

ers. Eventually, many employees begin to feelthat the high stress levels are not worth thepaycheck. They become burned out andbegin to look for other employment. Stressand burnout are two of the greatest reasonsfor employee turnover but, surprisingly, theyare not often mentioned in exit interviews.

WHAT HR MANAGERS CAN DO

HR managers have a vested interest in man-aging stress. In addition to the humanitariancosts, there are the business costs and thecosts due to lost opportunities. The more youprevent stress from getting out of control, themore savings. Healthy workers are happyworkers. When they are unhappy, health careand other costs rise.

The amount of job stress has a greatimpact on an employee’s decision to staywith a company. The more you contribute toyour employees’ health and well-being, the

less turnover. When employees leave, compa-nies lose their knowledge, skills, and abilitiesand incur the costs to replace them. Whenpotential new employees contemplate takinga job at your organization, they also look atthe number of hours they will work and theamount of stress they will have to endure.You can’t afford the loss of intellectual capitaland the negative impact on the bottom linethat stress generates.

FIND AND REDUCE THE STRESSORS

Look at any stress-reduction program as a two-pronged attack: first, reduce the workplace

Bob LosykEmployment Relations Today DOI 10.1002/ert

10

stressors through organizational change and,second, help people to cope with and reducetheir levels of stress, both during and afterwork. In order to create an intervention strat-egy that decreases work stress, you must getto the root causes of the stressors. Start by cre-ating and/or administering a stress audit orquestionnaire. Numerous diagnostic surveysare available in the marketplace. Unfortu-nately, many of them are not related specifi-cally to the workplace. You may want to con-sider creating your own in order to measurethe specific factors causing stress at your workenvironment as well as the degree of stress.

Investigate the main factors that createstress in your workplace and where employeesperceive they originate from. Determine theeffects that stress has on your people. A stressaudit should attempt to quantify the costs ofstress as it relates to decreased productivity,sickness, depression, absenteeism, and health-care costs. Once you have this information,you can show senior management that stressis a huge business issue, with high costs thatprevent growth and profitability. Then you cansuccessfully make the case for a stress-reduc-tion/employee wellness program.

Any such survey should first determinewhether people are physically and mentallysatisfied in the work environment. Begin bylooking at environmental factors such as tem-perature, lighting, air quality, safety, noise,crowding, and dangerous materials. Does theenvironment make people feel safe and com-fortable? Many work environments havebeen created with the employees as anafterthought, with the belief that people haveto fit in, no matter how uncomfortable theirsurroundings are.

The remainder of the audit should dealwith all those social and mental factors thatcreate a productive work environment. They

HR managers have a vested interest in managing stress.

Spring 2006

can all lead to stress, burnout, and turnover.The areas mentioned are not all-inclusive.

First, determine whether workloads, workschedules, overtime requirements, and timepressures are overwhelming. Do employeeshave too much to do and not enough timeand/or resources to accomplish the work? Isthe amount of work beyond their capabilities?Remember that employees often will not com-plain about the extra demands or overload, atleast not to management. They are afraid toadmit they need help for fear of being viewedas incapable of handling the job; all the while,the stress is building within them.

Find out if and what barriers block theway of employee productivity. Determinewhether there are management systems andpolicies in place that stand in the way of suc-cess. Is the job designed so that a certainamount of failure is inevitable? Evaluate theamount of boredom and repetition existing incertain jobs, because the people who areassigned to them tend to quit as soon assomething more exciting becomes available.Obtain employee input to find ways to do ajob more effectively so there is higher job sat-isfaction. Involve them in decisions thataffect their jobs.

Check the training at your firm to deter-mine whether it improves performance. Seewhether there are any areas that people needtraining in that they have not received yet.Look at career paths for your people. Aremany employees stuck in the same repetitivework each day with no upward mobility?Lack of growth and development leads toboredom, burnout, and turnover.

Survey the management style of your orga-nization. Does it lead to conflict, anxiety,anger, and fear? Determine whether yourmanagement staff respects people and treatsthem as associates with common goals. Valu-

What HR Managers Must Do to Prevent Burnout and TurnoverEmployment Relations Today DOI 10.1002/ert

11

ing each person as an individual is critical toperformance. If you have toxic, intimidatingmanagers, then they are destroying people’smorale and job satisfaction. This only leadsto more stress and burnout. Eventually, peo-ple leave a good organization because of abad supervisor or manager.

Determine whether there is conflict orambiguity within work roles. Confusion onlyadds to stress. Find out whether employeeshave a clear understanding of all policies andprocedures. Do they know exactly what theyshould be doing and how to do it? Be sureeach person knows how he or she fits intothe big picture.

This is where communication becomesespecially important. Communication mustbe open, continuous, and in all directions.Information must be shared openly andfreely. People cannot feel valued if informa-

tion is kept from them. When communicationflows openly, it reduces uncertainty. Theinformal grapevine that is often filled withmisinformation is prevented from taking root.

What kind of feedback systems are inplace? People must receive constructive feed-back that fits, on a timely basis. Destructive,accusatory feedback only destroys trust andcreates hostility. Many supervisors find it eas-ier to blame than to correct or retrain. Thefeedback must fit the situation, be frequent,and be given at the right time. It should begiven in private. It cannot be judgmental,labeling, or exaggerated. Poor-quality feed-back is a great stressor.

Examine the reward systems that are inplace to determine whether people receive

If you have toxic, intimidating managers, then they aredestroying people’s morale and job satisfaction.


the proper incentives and recognition forexcellent performance. What behaviors orskills are being rewarded or ignored? Ignor-ing positive behaviors leads to lower morale.A fair system must be based on performanceand merit, where those who are the best getthe most. Determine whether your best peo-ple are properly rewarded and recognizedwhen they go above and beyond.

Finally, examine the personal relationshipsand interactions at your workplace. Peoplewho spend eight or more hours a daytogether must be compatible. They must beable to work together as a team. Yet in somany organizations, people are increasinglyexperiencing more gossiping, turf protection,and backstabbing than ever before. Many

workers claim it is harder than ever to getalong with their coworkers. Incompatibilityhas become a real source of stress in manyfirms. This all affects productivity and theability for organizations to stay competitive.

IMPLEMENT STRESS-REDUCTIONPROGRAMS

Implementing a comprehensive stress-reduc-tion program does work, and it gives a con-crete return on investment. What employeeslearn and implement carries over into theirpersonal lives and families. They tend to livehealthier lifestyles. It also brings employeescloser as a team, as they tend to worktogether as buddies and groups to help oneanother achieve and maintain their stress-reduction goals, so a program can only bene-fit your organization.


12

I am not suggesting that you can eliminateall the stressors at your organization or all thestress within your people, because that wouldbe impossible. Nor do I suggest that you havethe time and resources to implement all ofthe following interventions to reduce stress.However, you can bring it to acceptable lev-els, so that people are healthy and can func-tion and be productive.

Stress-Management Training

Stress-management training is relatively inex-pensive and easy to implement. Any stress-management training program must be devel-oped from the data provided by a stressaudit, questionnaire, or needs analysis. Inorder to create the learning objectives, ana-lyze the data from the audit and ask the fol-lowing questions:

• What are the major sources and rootcauses of stress in our organization?

• What impacts do they have on our people?• What do our people already know about

stress management, and what do theyneed to know?

• What are the main objectives of thetraining?

• How will we create and deliver thetraining?

• How can we ensure transfer of training?• How will we evaluate the training pro-

gram afterward?

Stress-management training should be con-ducted for all employees, regardless of theposition, even if they state that they have lit-tle or no stress. The training must focus onknowledge acquisition and changes in beliefs,attitudes, habits, and behaviors. Managersshould also undergo training on how to deal

Implementing a comprehensive stress-reduction programdoes work, and it gives a concrete return on investment.

Spring 2006

with stressed-out employees and how to bebetter at supervising their staffs during toughtimes. Managers must also learn to facilitatemeetings with employees after the training todiscuss stress-related problems.

Any stress-management training shouldbegin with discussions of what stress is andhow it impacts people. Most people are onlyaware of how stressed they are when itreaches the critical stages. They don’t realizethat stress impacts their lives on a daily basis,taking its toll on their minds, bodies, andspirits. The training must address ways torejuvenate all three elements on a daily basis.

People must realize what their biggeststressors are and the ways they react to them.Self-awareness and analysis questionnaires,case studies, and group discussions are allgood methods to create an understanding ofindividual stress levels and reactions. Trainerscan then teach people ways to mentally andemotionally react during stressful situations.These methods include positive self-talk,affirmations, and visualizations.

Fitness programs are probably the mostimportant components of stress-reductionand wellness programs. A main key to suc-cess is getting employees to make a time andenergy commitment to the program. Beforebeginning one, it is best to have everyoneundergo a physical exam and fitness screen-ing to determine whether it is safe for themto exercise. This includes blood pressure test-ing and blood screening for cholesterol levelsbefore they start.

Bring in an exercise expert who can dis-cuss light, moderate, and advanced exercisesthat give everyone a chance to be involved,depending on health and ability. The trainingmust cover the major ways of de-stressing,such as walking, stretching, aerobics, weighttraining, and yoga.


13

Other methods of de-stressing includemeditation, breath counting, T’ai Chi, andChigong. There are many myths and fictionsassociated with these practices. Again, bringin an expert to teach these areas if there isinterest. These ancient forms of exercise andrelaxation date back over 2,000 years. Theyare widely accepted in Eastern medicine,where one cannot separate the mind from thebody. Millions of people practice these meth-ods because they work. Yet these practicesare still sometimes looked at with distrust or

cynicism in the West. When they are broughtinto U.S. organizations, these practices havesuch great health benefits that the return oninvestment far outweighs the costs.

Create a Comprehensive Health andWellness Education Program

Health and wellness programs have existed inU.S. organizations since the late 1970s. Theycan be defined as any programs designed toimprove an employee’s health or eliminatenegative health habits. Stress management isa major component and a driver of healthand wellness programs, but there are otheractivities that aid in improving employeehealth and overall employee well-being. Con-tact groups such as the American Red Cross,the American Heart Association, and theNational Wellness Council offer free informa-tion and services.

Again, many of these activities are cost-effective, easy to implement, and have areturn on investment that is very high. Forexample, you can set up a health and well-

Any stress-management training should begin with discussions of what stress is and how it impacts people.


ness information station that continuallytrains people on issues important to them.Include in your stress audit or survey ques-tions about specific areas and health issuesemployees need and want to know about.Have a different health theme for eachmonth, with specific information related tothat theme. Hold short seminars and mini-discussion groups related to the theme.

Bring in a diet specialist or a person fromWeight Watchers® to discuss diet, nutrition,and weight loss. When people are stressed,they often eat more. Many of the foods theyingest are the wrong types of foods, filledwith sugar, carbohydrates, and fats. Food canact as a tranquilizer for a while, but thewrong kinds of food take a toll. Caffeine canactually stimulate the release of stress hor-mones, making us even more stressed out.

People must have the opportunity to learnabout better health alternatives and lifestylehabits, including smoking cessation programsand other programs to address addictions.

Some organizations bring in masseurs andacupuncturists to help relieve stress. We seethese practices increasing in use for one sim-ple reason: they work. Massage is an effec-tive therapy for combating anxiety, tension,and stress. It helps people to relax andbecome more mentally alert. Massage is alsoeffective in eliminating muscle tightness,stiffness, and pain associated with sitting orstanding in one position all day. Contact theAmerican Massage Therapy Association atwww.amtamassage.org to find out what toexpect during a massage and to locate quali-fied therapists in your area.


14

Acupuncture and acupressure date backthousands of years to the practices ofancient Chinese medicine. Acupuncturemakes use of very thin needles placed atspecific points in the body, which stimulatethe flow of energy. Acupressure is a form ofacupuncture that uses the hands instead ofneedles to stimulate certain points of thebody. Each practice has been proven effec-tive to increase relaxation and healing, whiledecreasing pain and stress.

Healthy Marriage/Relationship Seminars

When people come home from a tough dayon the job, they bring the stress right alongwith them. This often spills over into familylife and relationships through anger, fighting,lack of communication, and isolation. Bring-ing in a marriage counselor or expert on rela-tionships to discuss these issues can be veryhelpful in allowing families to function betterduring tough times. Healthy marriages andrelationships make healthier employees.

Time-Management Training

Getting a grip on stress and getting a grip ontime are inexorably linked. Many people areunder great stress due to their lack of organi-zational skills. Bad habits learned early inlife become ingrained in people. With theproper training, these habits can be changed,and people can become more productive andless stressed.

Time-management training must focus onboth the knowledge needed to make changeand the actual skills involved. People mustleave the training with solid action plans thatthey can implement immediately. In order tocreate a list of training objectives, refer backto the questions previously asked about

Many people are under great stress due to their lack oforganizational skills.

Spring 2006

stress-management training. A good time-management training program has the follow-ing objectives:

• Learning to track your time and deter-mine your biggest time wasters;

• Establishing priorities based on what isurgent and/or important;

• Organizing information and being able toretrieve information quickly;

• Overcoming procrastination and gettingthings done;

• Dealing with interruptions;• Knowing how and when to say no;• Cutting clutter and paperwork; and• Learning how to run effective meetings.

Rewrite Job Descriptions

Job descriptions are often vague, meaning-less, and useless. Rewrite them so they aremore specific and enable employees to sharethe overload. Get people involved inredesigning their jobs. Rotate jobs that arerepetitive, routine, and boring.

Encourage Breaks

Be sure that people take lunch and breaks.Encourage them to get away from the worksite and breathe some fresh air. People mustbe able to get away for a few minutes to de-stress or relax. Eating meals at their desks orwork stations while working is unhealthy andleads to burnout.

Financial Training

This is one area management often overlooksthat brings great results. Many businesseshave found they can ask a financial planneror accountant to come in and speak for free


15

with the hopes of obtaining new business.Helping people to plan their financial futuresthrough retirement plans, IRAs, pensions, orinvesting is well worth the time. Someemployees have maxed out their credit cardsand can’t make ends meet. Others are justnot savvy about the best way to obtain a carloan, mortgage, or financing in general.Assisting your employees to function finan-cially and helping them to stay out of finan-cial debt sends a very powerful messageabout how your company values its people.This also lessens everyday stress andimproves worker and family relationships.

Be Family Supportive

Organizations that are highly family support-ive have less stressed employees and lowerturnover. Flexible scheduling, compressedworkweeks, job sharing, family leave, depen-

dent care, and telecommuting all have adirect impact on employee well-being. Workschedules and benefits that are compatiblewith people’s lives and responsibilities athome make a tremendous positive impact onstress levels. These practices can counteractthe tension and anxiety from a difficult com-mute or the stress of a tough family situation.

Many workers have problems with familyobligations such as getting the children toschool and elder care. Single moms are underalmost unimaginable stress. Surveys of moth-ers tell us that the most important priority tothem is to be able to get the proper care for asick child during the workday and to be ableto get to school for an important meeting or

Many businesses have found they can ask a financial planner or accountant to come in and speak for free with the hopes of obtaining new business.


event, such as a school play. Once again,allowing time for these practices sends outthe message that we value our people.

Have a Violence/Harassment Policy

With so many more people under stress, thefrequency of arguments, anger, rage, and vio-lent behavior has accelerated. Unfortunately,no one can know when someone may just“lose it.” However, this is one kind of extraadded stress that you cannot tolerate. Peoplemust know what is acceptable behavior andwhat is not.

Establish a policy in writing that everyonemust sign. It must clearly state that rudeness,aggression, threats, harassment, or acts ofviolence will not be tolerated. Describe thebehaviors that are considered improper,harassing, and/or violent. Require youremployees to report any such behavior imme-diately, because violence can rapidly escalate.

Investigate the situation and take appropriateaction right away. Implementing a zero-toler-ance policy in this area sends a message thatyour company cares about employees’ safetyand security.

Establish Employee Assistance Programs

Many people need assistance and counselingthat is beyond the scope of humanresources. An employee assistance program(EAP) that offers private and confidentialcounseling can be very effective in helpingemployees deal with stress, burnout, addic-tions, marital problems, parenting concerns,


16

bereavement, and other personal issues. Ifyou have a program in place, encourage peo-ple to make use of it. Many HR managersare concerned about the costs, but compa-nies actually save money because they getback increased productivity, less absen-teeism, fewer mistakes, and reducedturnover. Compare a plan based on fee-for-service with a plan based on the number ofemployees to determine which is more cost-effective. Those companies that have wiselyinvested in EAPs have seen a return oninvestment with a drop in health care andworkers’ compensation costs.

MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS

Since creating interventions that produce pos-itive change is the goal, you must have somemechanism for measuring their effectiveness.You can easily track people’s health-carecosts, productivity, absenteeism, sickness,and turnover. Gather anecdotal evidencethrough employee interviews and group dis-cussions. Get their perceptions to seewhether the programs are working. You canalso link all this information to the bottomline in such areas as increased sales, betterservice, and fewer errors or defects. You canshow upper management that lowered stresslevels are directly connected to business suc-cess. This enables you to justify your costsand obtain increased funding for more train-ing and interventions.

CONCLUSION

Creating a stress-management and wellnessprogram at your organization has such anenormously positive impact that humanresources and top management cannot affordto ignore it. Employees who are stressed can-

Creating a stress-management and wellness program hassuch an enormously positive impact that human resourcesand top management cannot afford to ignore it.

Spring 2006

not care about excellence, innovation, prof-itability, and the competitive edge. Employeeswho feel they work for an organization thatinvests money in order to make them healthyand happy will stay with that employer muchlonger and thrive in that environment. If you


17

invest wisely in the health of your people,you will become known as an employer ofchoice, while your competition who choosesnot to invest will continue to lose profits andkeep struggling to recruit, hire, and retain thebest and the brightest.

Bob Losyk, M.Ed., MBA, is an author and Certified Speaking Professional who has spo-ken to over 1,800 audiences. He is the founder and president of Innovative Training Solu-tions, a consulting firm specializing in stress and workforce issues. A prolific writer, Mr.Losyk has written over 150 articles on management topics. He is the author of the highlysuccessful books Get a Grip! Overcoming Stress & Thriving in the Workplace and Man-aging a Changing Workforce: Achieving Outstanding Service with Today’s Employees.Mr. Losyk has appeared on national TV shows and many nationally syndicated radioshows. His opinion has been sought for the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and a vari-ety of newspaper and magazine interviews. This article is excerpted and adapted from the2006 Pfeiffer Annual: Human Resource Management (with CD-ROM), Robert C.Preziosi (Ed.), by permission of Pfeiffer/A Wiley Imprint. For more information on theauthor and the subject of this article, please visit http://www.boblosyk.com andhttp://www.getagriponstress.com. Mr. Losyk can be reached at [email protected].

Documents

Getting a grip on stress: What HR managers must do to prevent burnout and turnover