From the tests, I got a stress score of 141 which corresponds to a relatively low amount of life change and a low susceptibility to stress-induced health breakdown. I also got a score of 76 for problem-focused coping and 37 for impatience/ irritability. This showed me that I deal with stress fairly well and in a healthy way. While I am not under a significant amount of stress, it was beneficial to reflect on my response to stress and how it might affect others around me.
Workplace stress can be a significant concern to employees and, depending on the individual’s personality, could have a significant impact on their lives outside of work. According to SHRM, the top five reasons employees are stressed from their jobs include lack of opportunity for advancement, low wages, unrealistic job expectations, long hours, and too heavy a workload. The article advises organization’s to train employees on how to recognize stressed employees. Some solutions that organizations can implement to decrease stress include meeting with employees to re-prioritize tasks and allow more leniency for deadlines.
Some organizations have even provided unique benefits to employees to encourage stress-reducing activities. Some organizations actually help pay for employees to go on vacation and help fund money-management classes for employees (Tigar, 2018). These benefits help employees find work-life balance and even help cope with stressors outside of the workplace. Other companies offer meditation, on-site gyms and other recreational activities that can help manage stress. Investing in these benefits can increase productivity and prevent burnout in employees.
Tigar, L. 2018. The Innovative Ways These Companies are Managing Employee Stress. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/40564709/the-innovative-ways-these-companies-are-managing-employee-stress
Wilkie, D. 2020. What Managers Can Do to Ease Workplace Stress. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/how-managers-can-help-stressed-workers-.aspx