Upon taking some time to complete the stress and personality quizzes it became obvious that I fall into the fairly average or even slightly below average range when it comes to stress levels, type A behavior, or stress management ability. I think the results I got were broadly accurate, though one did oddly suggest I likely have a habit of occasionally lashing out despite never suggesting in any of my answers that I do that. That being said, there are some ways I plan on ensuring my stress levels stay manageable during my career. The most significant of these is making sure I push towards a position who’s salary and benefits are enough to cover necessary bills like rent, utilities, medical, etc. These sorts of expenses may seem rather basic, but if your position doesn’t cover them properly they can become enormous stressors. Beyond that it is important for any position I am in to have opportunities to advance or otherwise enhance my career. This may not strictly require a promotion per se, but having a future goal is incredibly important to ensure I don’t become stagnant where I am.
Insofar as a businesses perspective on stress is concerned, most seem generally aware of the main factors that are universally reported. Things like pay and work-life balance continue to remain the biggest stressors for workers everywhere. There are also other health concerns which companies are increasingly aware of such as infectious diseases or a lack of exercise among employees. How companies respond to their knowledge and concerns is where you see a great deal of variation. Some have started introducing more sick days to keep ill workers at home or adding broader therapy coverage to their medical packages for example. Others have focused more energy on ensuring workloads are better managed such as was mentioned in the lecture Job Stress. While their methods to handling employee health and stress differ, it is fair to say companies are more aware than ever about this topic and are increasingly interested in helping their employees stay well.
References:
American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress
Society for Human Resource Management: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/how-managers-can-help-stressed-workers-.aspx#:~:text=Encourage%20your%20team%20to%20take,sure%20to%20take%20them%20yourself.
Myers L., Week 9 Lecture 6 Introduction to Performance Management, https://canvas.oregonstate.edu/courses/1936538/pages/week-9-learning-materials?module_item_id=23510067