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Healthy staff , healthy organisation
The recent revelation that employees as young as 20 years, of the Indian BPO sector are falling prey to heart attacks due to increased stress levels is shocking. It also underlines the fact that the stress we face daily as part of our work has a lot to do with our wellbeing.
A recent study by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, (ICIER) a New Delhi-based research group, found out that an increase in workplace stress affects employees’ health. The IT and ITES sectors characterised by long working hours, night shifts, increased workloads and a sedentary lifestyle is leading to conditions like stroke, heart disease, back pain, spondylitis and other lifestyle diseases among employees. Heart ailments are a common occurrence. Unfortuantely, few companies have genuinely addressed this issue.
Such conditions not only affect employee health but also as the ICRIER study, which surveyed 81 companies, found out, companies lose an average of 14 percent of their annual working days due to employee sickness. Few companies however provide any preventive health care measures. The study says reducing just one health risk increases an employee’s on-the-job productivity by nine percent and cuts absenteeism by two percent.
The workplace of today is radically different from what it was just a few decades ago when the nature of an employee’s work remained the same through the years. Today it’s different, job descriptions have become more complex and advances in technology have only added to the complexity. Moreover, employees today work for longer hours and things like the Internet, Blackberry or cell phones make it possible for them to remain connected to their workplace anytime and anywhere. Employees are expected to be ‘available’ at all times.
Today’s workplaces characterised by 24/7 working hours, sedentary jobs, stress laden work, pressing deadlines and accessibilty to high-fat foods at office cafeterias make up all the classic causes of heart disease – stress, wrong diet and lack of adequate exercise.
Research conducted by the Stockholm Heart Epidemiologist Programme (Sweden) found out that the risk of a heart attack increases manifold just after meeting an important deadline. The study says employees facing tight deadlines at work are six times more prone to a heart attack within the next 24 hours.
There is no denying the fact that some amount of stress is inevitable in our lives because it is the body’s natural reaction to the demands or pressures it faces. The response can be an increased heart rate, blood pressure, or hormonal secretions. However, continuous exposure to stressful situations can decrease the body’s ability to deal with stress, either physical or mental and finally lead to a heart attack or other such health problems.
Employees do feel stressed out when the work pressure gets too much to handle, yet they are reluctant to approach their manager with the problem and continue to suffer because:
• Some feel that doing so will project them as non-team players who are unwilling to face the pressures while the rest of the team does not seem to mind it.
• Others feel that it would be unfair to take their problems to their boss who is already overworked.
• Some others believe that their bosses would just not understand their problem because they continue to give them tasks that are actually a waste of time and resources and want their teams to multitask.
Organisations have to address these issues when it comes to dealing with work related stress. Companies should adopt policies like flexi time options, telecommuting and improve work-life balance in employees. The Business Work-Life Study conducted by the Families and Work Institute, suggests “organisations adopt work-family programmes, inform employees that help is available and hold managers accountable for sensitivity to their employees’ work-family needs."
However, companies are reluctant to invest in measures to help employees reduce the stress in their lives unaware of the long term-benefits and as Sue Peterson, business manager of the publishing companies Healthy Learning and Coaches Choice suggests, "If they spent a little in the long run, they’ll save money and have more productive employees, happier employees. It’s a good investment."
There is no denying the fact that workplace stress negatively affects productivity and significantly increases workplace health care costs. Companies need to take action and here are some pointers:
• Employees should not be given too many deadlines at a single point of time. This will lead to tension and pressure especially when they are struggling with work.
• Allow them a morning break especially after a long commute. This will prepare them better to meet the challenges of the workday ahead
• Allow employees to relax during lunch and tea breaks instead of asking them to work without a break.
• Employees should not be disturbed with workplace problems while on vacation.
• Employees coming back after a break taken due to health reasons should not be given stressful tasks immediately.
• Work should include interesting and high priority tasks.
At the individual level, you can reduce stress at work by first knowing how your body clock functions.
Decide whether you are a morning or afternoon person (performance levels of individuals differ at different times of the day). Schedule important tasks and crucial deadlines accordingly.
Some amount of stress can be avoided if you plan things well. Another way to ease stressful situations is to take the help of humour.
Most importantly, sharpening one’s communication skills can reduce stress to a large extent.
Communicate clearly, what you want from others and also the right way to give feedback. Learn to be assertive. Identify and reduce any stress-inducing habits in the way you work.
Tackling stress needs attention in today’s workplace to ensure best performance by employees.
HEMA GOPALAKRISHNAN
faqs@cnkonline.com
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