More than half (52 percent) of workers said they are stressed at work on a day-to-day basis, and 60 percent reported work-related pressure has increased in the last five years, according to a new survey by staffing firm Accountemps.  Contributors to employee stress include heavy workloads and looming deadlines (33 percent), difficulties associated with attaining work-life balance (22 percent), and unrealistic expectations of managers (22 percent).

 

"A stressed employee can have detrimental effects on the department or company, including decreased morale and productivity, and increased burnout and turnover," according to Bill Driscoll, a district president for Accountemps.  "Managers should look for signs their staff is overworked ? like missed deadlines or excessive overtime ? and talk to employees to pinpoint triggers and implement stress-relieving solutions."  Stress relief may take the form of daily exercise, time spent with friends and family or engaging in personal hobbies, taking vacations and listening to music.

 

Managers seeking to support stressed workers can assist in prioritizing workloads and setting reasonable expectations about deadlines and output.  They can remind employees of wellness offerings available to them (i.e., stress management EAP programs, lunch and rest breaks, and onsite exercise classes).  They can commit to creating a collaborative and friendly work environment by introducing fun activities to break up stressful days.  Most importantly, managers can work to model the foregoing stress management strategies, to build acceptance among employees.  Source:  Accountemps