Reducing Employee Stress:
Workplace health and safety is an important factor for many organizations, relating to the topic of stress and burnout. Many people deal with stress differently. For example, after taking the different stress and personality surveys, I have determined some important information about how I personally deal with stress. Using this information, I can analyze how I manage stress and the best way to deal with external stressors. One thing I learned about myself is that I have a Type A behavior pattern, and that I may have difficulty asking others for help when I feel stressed. The survey also mentioned that I may be impatient when it comes to problem-solving, leading to higher stress levels. From that, I can take steps to manage the stress in my professional career by learning how to ask for help or tell someone else that I feel the weight of stress. Also, taking some time for myself to figure out the situation is beneficial without having to worry about work as well, since the survey indicated that I use problem-focused coping. I also need to build strategies to minimize stress from a situation, instead of always trying to find the root issue right away.
Currently, in my industry, the major stress and health concerns surround those of mental health and burnout, as the suicide rate within construction is one of the highest among all industries (Sussell et al. 2021). Organizations within the industry are taking proactive steps to reduce these stressors by providing the employees information on mental health crisis lines, as well as a generous amount of paid time off and vacation days.
Sources
Sussell A, Peterson C, Li J, Miniño A, Scott KA, Stone DM. Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation. National Vital Statistics System. 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7250a2