System change that led to job demand and changes in deadlines.
This was reported in one of the country’s financial institution where the system change called for additional time in the office, reporting to work early, and working for late hours. The new systems led to increased complaints from employees that led to development of unpleasant work relationships between managers, employees, and co-workers.
The technique used was meditation where employees were given some minutes for exercise in the evening. The employees were also allowed to control their schedule at work. They were also provided with magazines and books to use as reference in identifying warning signs of work stress.
Using meditation allowed employees to form relationships as they worked out, and share their stresses or complaints with their co-workers and employees (Palmer, and Cooper, 2013). This worked in forming new relationships. Controlling their schedule did not work as even with schedules they had deadlines to meet. The reference material worked as the employees could recognize once depressed, anxious, having trouble to concentrate, and when having loss of interest.
Health and welfare issues.
Such issues include insomnia, tension, hypertension, diabetes, digestive issues, fatigue, and drug abuse, amongst others. According to Chambers, Schwartz, and Boath (2003), such issues cost an employer $3000 per day. These issues occur in almost every organization. Health care problems lead to absenteeism, increased employee complains, poor time keeping, and low productivity.
Most organizations offer health policies and medication covers to cater for these work related issues by improving access to health facilities, and treatment. Others increase their employee’s salaries to cater for their finances that may be the cause of the stress. Some manage the stress by improving work environment, and improving emotional intelligence to employees.
Health policies cost the organization a lot of its income. Increasing their salaries also reduces the stress, but may also change their lifestyle leading to further cases of obesity, and alcohol abuse. Improving work environment may only solve issues related to tension, but most health problems result from financial distress (Martin, 2004).
High risk jobs.
Employees result to stress if they work in risky jobs. They live in fear of the worst from death or injuries. An example is in the manufacturing sector where employees deal with metal, fire, high voltage electricity, and hazardous waste. As a result, employees become stressed leading to high employee and labor turnover, which increases an organization’s operational costs. The employees may also claim compensation benefits, and other risk associated benefits. Some may result into alcohol and other drugs as methods of relief from the dangers they face in the organization.
Appraising these employees through bonuses, recognition, job rotations, and increased payments solves the stress (Chambers, Schwartz, and Boath, 2003) By awarding them the employees feel motivated, and inspired to continue working. Benefit such as health and medical covers also inspire them to work as they do not suffer risks contributed to finance use in case of any accidents. Providing the employees with health benefits motivates the employees and boosts their productivity (Martin, 2004). These also encourage the employees to work without stress in case of emergencies.
Violence and gender discrimination.
Some employees face work-home conflicts as a result of their demanding roles both at offices and work. This leads to poor productivity, increased employee turnover that leads to costs of recruitment, and training, and loss of organization’s competitiveness as a result of low levels of production.
Counseling, rehydration, provision for flexi hours, and implementing the brisk walk and self talk method of stress relief, are some stress relief methods used by organizations. Counseling involves taking the affected employees through psychological programs through internal or external therapists. Rehydration encourages employees to have breaks of refreshments as they work. Flexi hours are leaves where employees are allowed some time off the work. The brisk walk and self talk method involves taking some time off the working area, and having some breath or change of environment from office.
The success of these methods depend on the implementation processes as some of them may lead to increased costs or lost opportunities for organizations (Martin, 2004). Taking flexi hours, for example, motivates and freshens up the employees for the next task. Hydration also boosts their mind leading to increase concentration. However, the frequency of the breaks should be denied as it may lead to working hours being lost, and in overall decreased production.
Stress on role conflicts.
Scalability, job rotations, promotions, and changes in organizational structure may impact on the roles of the employees. This was the case in Koch industries when the organization expanded to foreign markets. Some employees could not trace their roles while some duplicated their work. As a result, the organization received many employee complaints, employees conflicted amongst themselves, and some ended up idling in offices.
Communication was the technique used in solving this stress where managers relayed information on the necessity to expand, and the duration of time they intended to take in solving the problem (Martin, 2004). Monitoring and supervision was also enhanced to reduce effort duplication and idleness. Employees’ were also taken through development programs so as to match the needs of the technology intended to be put into place.
The solutions worked for the organization as development programs allowed the employees to be equipped with the expectations of growth (Palmer, and Cooper, 2013).. Communication allowed openness, and team formations that boosted productivity. Supervision also improved on the organization’s efficiency as the managers’ ensured compliance to the expectations.
REFERENCE.
Chambers, R., Schwartz, A. L., & Boath, E. (2003). Beating stress in the NHS. Abingdon: Radcliffe Medical.Bottom of Form
Martin, J. (2004). Organizational behaviour and management. London: Thomson Learning.
Palmer, S., & Cooper, C. (2013). How to Deal with Stress. London: Kogan Page.
