How much stress in the workplace is too much stress? With increasing levels of stress, how high can it go before employee productivity and morale suffer? How high before customer satisfaction is impacted? How high before employee turnover hurts your organization?
A recent survey by Northwestern National Life found that 40% of American workers believe their job is very or extremely stressful (Chicago Tribune, Jan. 27, 2008). The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety defines these six job conditions that can negatively impact your workforce and your organization:
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Design of tasks--long hours, heavy workloads and tedious assignments.
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Management style--poor communication or lack of family-friendly policies.
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Interpersonal relationships--lack of coworker support, poor supervisors, bad social environment.
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Work roles--too much responsibility, especially without empowerment to act; conflicting or uncertain job expectations.
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Career concerns--lack of growth or promotion opportunities, frequent organizational changes.
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Environmental conditions--unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions such as noise or air pollution, dirty restrooms, marked or chipped walls, etc...
People are the number one asset of an organization. They are also an integral part of your unique culture. Doesn't it make sense to keep that asset running in as efficient and positive mode as possible? Doing so may be the difference in retaining your customers.