Everyone acknowledges the existence and inevitability of stress at the workplace, but how many of us really understand the extent of damage it's wreaking?
Even as we speak, millions around the world are on the verge of a breakdown due to work-related stress. And it's not just the workers themselves who take a beating. Some estimates put the loss of GDP due to stress in some developed nations at about 10%! Employees falling sick, employees fearful of going to work, employees not putting in their best effort, all these cripple productivity.
Managers have the duty to monitor stress levels in the workforce, identify the factors that cause stress, and take firm measures to reduce it. The top factors that increase stress at work include: poor working conditions (e.g. long hours, travel, noises, smells, work overload and work underload), a lack of a clear role in the company (e.g. ill-defined expectations, conflicting priorities and responsibility for others), and poor relationships at work (e.g. low levels of trust and lack of support).
In order to reduce and prevent stress at work:
1. Employees should have genuine control over their work and be allowed an appropriate degree of self-management of workload.
2. Roles, responsibilities and expectations should be fully defined.
3. Employees should have a role in planning and decision making.
4. The physical workplace environment should be of a high standard, including natural light where possible, good ventilation, and good health and safety practices.
5. Employees should be actively discouraged from working excessively long hours.
Although there are many ways of relieving stress outside the office, only a few techniques are suitable for use in the workplace. One method that can be used in a work environment is aromatherapy. Many essential oils are recognised for their stress-relieving effects, and can help aid concentration and focus, and improve productivity and mood. Candles will most certainly be frowned upon by your Fire Safety Officer, but there are plenty of electric oil diffusers available that don't require any burning.
Try oils like lavender, rosemary and orange, all of them known to reduce anxiety, depression and fatigue, and aid clarity, balance, relaxation and rejuvenation.
How else can you enhance your workplace to increase worker well-being and productivity?
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
