Managing Stress

2007

Costs of Stress• Nationally, insurable costs (workers’ compensation premium) are

currently between $50 - $60 million per year.• The uninsurable or hidden costs of stress-related claims are

estimated between $150 million and $200 million per year and include:– high unplanned absenteeism– reduced productivity– reduction in the quality of customer service– conflict among remaining staff coping with increased work load– family disruption– costs of staff replacement and retraining– loss of expertise to the organisation– costs to community health

What is stress?

• Stress can most accurately be regarded as any demand made on people by their environment.

• Stress response consists of the psychological and physical reactions which occur when we attempt to cope with those demands.

Stress

Affects of stress

• Prolonged unrelieved awareness of not coping, or of significant fatigue arising from stress can result in:– immediate safety problems (such as “I was so

‘stressed out’ that I didn’t see the warning light flashing”)

– long-term health problems such as depression, ‘burnout’, heart

– disease and self-abusive behaviours (such as overuse of alcohol).

Affects of stress

• A stressed individual may:– become ‘down’, anxious, irritable or clinically

depressed– lose confidence, talk about sleeping badly, have slow

reactions, or behave oddly– have deteriorating relationships with colleagues– be irritable or indecisive, or perform poorly or be more

error-prone– drink more alcohol than usual or turn to other

recreational drugs– complain about their health and, for example, get

frequent headaches.

Causes of workplace stress

• work control• overload• understimulation• role ambiguity/role conflict• lack of career opportunity• overpromotion• fatigue• long and sometimes irregular hours and shift work• aggressive/belligerent management styles including

harassment, threats etc.• difficult working environment, eg, hot environments, dangerous

work.• lack of job security

Organisational Variables

• Research has identified six organisational variables as sources of stress:– 1. factors intrinsic to the job– 2. relationships at work– 3. role in the organisation– 4. career development– 5. organisational structure and climate– 6. home/work interface

Job Categorisation

Manager can provide leadership by

• Acknowledging that stress may be a problem or potential problem in their organisation

• Designing and implementing formal systems with documented policies and procedures to prevent and manage dissatisfaction such as:– establishing grievance procedures, – instituting performance management programs, – implementing performance planning and development programs– establishing employee assistance programs

Manager can provide leadership by

• encouraging openness in communication of dissatisfaction

• managing, rather than ignoring, conflict situations

• involving those affected in the process of finding solutions

• giving effective and timely feedback on workplace problems.

Early intervention the key

• Once a manager becomes aware that a worker is exhibiting signs of stress they should take urgent action to address the issue. How a stress situation is managed will influence the length of a worker’s absence and any consequent costs.

• Most of the costs associated with a worker’s compensation claim for occupational stress are related to time off work and rehabilitation services.

• If no effort is made to intervene early and resolve issues, especially if the worker takes time off , the case may be difficult to resolve.

Early intervention the key

• Early intervention can include conflict resolution, mediation, changes to workload or counselling from an Employee Assistance Scheme.

• But most importantly, the effective manager will need to try and understand why a particular employee is responding to a certain stressor in a way which is causing harm.

• It will be the managers response to the employees stress response which will be a critical factor in successfully resolving the problem.

Control the Risk

• Workplace environment• Communication• Define priorities and roles• Adequate staffing levels• Training and skill development• Adequate resources and tools• Grievance and conflict resolution processes• Listen to employees• Establish critical incident plans

Managing stress

• Managing problems around stress and fatigue requires the same skills and behaviours as managing any other employment relationship problem:– Ensure there is two way communication– Dealing with problems before they escalate is always

best practice. – Get the facts– Talk about it

Activities to reduce stress

• Deep breathing – This interrupts the energy output cycle and forces

your body back into normal mode. 4 counts in, 4 counts out – repeat 20 to 30 times

• Visualise something positive – If you think anxious thoughts, you become tense. Use

the power of your imagination to refocus your mind on positive, optimistic images. It doesn't matter what you visualise, as long as it's calming to you. As you relax your mind, your body also relaxes.

Activities to reduce stress

• Thought stopping– We are what we think, so controlling our thoughts can

significantly reduce stress levels. Thought stopping involves concentrating on the unwanted thoughts and after a short time, suddenly stopping and emptying your mind, using the mental command "stop" or a loud noise to interrupt negative thinking. Then, focus on positive thoughts and outcomes.

• Assertiveness skills– Feeling like we have little control is one of the drivers of stress.

Saying what we mean (with consideration) and asking for what we want allows us to feel we have control over our lives. Stand up for yourself, communicate directly and do not let others take advantage of you.

Dealing with Stress

• Get balance• Health, sleep and nutrition• Set realisitic goals• Talk about it as a team• Share the workload – do something for others• Learn how to best relax yourself – deep

breathing, meditation• Work off stress - exercise

Dealing with Stress

• The bottom line of stress management is "I upset myself"

• Avoid self-medication or escape - Alcohol and drugs can mask stress. They don't help deal with the problems

• Try to "use" stress - if you can't fight what's bothering you and you can't flee from it, flow with it and try to use it in a productive way

• Be positive – this helps you and your team

Summary

• Be aware

• Talk about it

• Take action – if you are feeling stressed talk to your manager – talk to your H&S representative - talk to HR about dealing with the issues