project maker
08-08-2014, 02:56 PM
Employee Stress and Job satisfaction
[attachment=66758]
Introduction to Employee Stress and
Job satisfaction
Employee stress is recognized world-wide as a major challenge to workers’ health
and the healthiness of their organizations . Workers who are stressed are also more
likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive and less safe at work.
Their organizations are less likely to be successful in a competitive market.
In Simple Words Stress is defined as a response to a demand that is placed upon you.
Stress in a normal reaction when your brain recognizes a threat. When the threat is perceived, your body releases hormones that activate your “fight or flight” response.
This fight or flight response is not limited to perceiving a threat, but in less severe cases,
is triggered when we encounter unexpected events. Psychologist Richard S. Lazarus best described stress as “a condition or feeling that a person experiences when they perceive
that the demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to
mobilize.” For most people, stress is a negative experience
Stress results from a mismatch between the demands and pressures on the person, on
the one hand, and their knowledge and abilities, on the other. It challenges their ability
to cope with work. This includes not only situations where the pressures
of work exceed the worker’s ability to cope but also where the worker’s knowledge
and abilities are not sufficiently Utilized and that is a problem for them. Stress can
be brought about by pressures at home and at work. Employers cannot usually
protect workers from stress arising outside of work, but they can protect them from
stress that arises through work. Stress at work can be a real problem to the organization
as well as for its workers. Good management and good work organization are the best
forms of stress prevention. If employees are already stressed, their managers should
be aware of it and know how to help.
Job satisfaction describes how content an individual is with his or her job. It is a
relatively recent term since in previous centuries the jobs available to a particular
person were often predetermined by the occupation of that person’s parent.
There are a variety of factors that can influence a person’s level of job satisfaction.
Some of these factors include the level of pay and benefits, the perceived fairness
o the promotion system within a company, the quality of the working conditions,
leadership and social relationships, the job itself (the variety of tasks involved,
the interest and challenge the job generates, and the clarity of the
job description/requirements).
How does it affect you?
Stress may cause you to have physiological, behavioral or even psychological effects.
1. Physiological – hormone release triggers your fight or flight response. These
hormones help you to either fight harder or run faster. They increase heart rate,
blood pressure, and sweating. Stress has been tied to heart disease. Because of the
increase in heart rate and blood pressure, prolonged stress increases the tension that is
put on the arteries. It also affects your immune system which is why cold and flu
illness usually show up during exams.
2. Behavioral – it may cause you to be jumpy, excitable, or even irritable. The effects
of stress may cause some people to drink or smoke heavily, neglect exercise or
proper nutrition, or overuse either the television or the computer.
3. Psychological – the response to stress may decrease your ability to work or
interact effectively with other people, and be less able to make good decisions.
Stress has also been known to play a part in anxiety and depression.
MANAGING EMPLOYEE STRESS
Every responds to stress in a different way, it is only by understanding the nature
of individual responses that you can start fighting stress yourself and others. Many s
trategies have been developed to help manage stress in the work place. Some are
strategies for individuals, and other is geared toward organizations.
Behavioral Self-Control:-
In ultimate analysis, effective management if stress presupposes exercise of
self-control on the part of an employee. By consciously analyzing the cause
and consequences of their own behavior, the employees can achieve self-control. They
can further develop awareness of their own limits of tolerance and learn to anticipate
their own responses to various stressful situations. The strategy involves increasing
an individuals control over the situations rather than being solely controlled by them.
Counseling:
Personal counseling help employees understand and appreciate a diverse
workforce, the holistic approach adopted by the counselor gives him a comprehensive
view of the employee as client and enable him to deal the issues of work related problems
in a larger context with his awareness of the inter-relationship among problems
in adjustment with self, other and environment and that a work concern will effect
personal life and vice-versa, the employee would receive help regarding the problem in
all life.
SCOPE OF STUDY
The study of employee stress is necessary to the level of stress in
employees working in an organization. It is essential to know the main
causes behind such stress, these can be work related or non-work
related causes. It is required to know that what important steps are
being taken by organization to cope up with such rising stress, in other
words the use of which strategies is being made. The questionnaire will
be based on reasons behind, the level of stress, the impact on
organization and employee as well. As stress has negative impact
on employee’s health so this study related to “employee stress” has
wider scope.
conclusion
1. First, the best way to reduce employee stress is to produce really nice and
comfortable work environment. If you manage to make your workplace a lot .
more comfortable, your employees will start to work a lot better. The reason for
that is the fact that if a person feels better, he or she will work better.
2. If there is a lot of sound on the workplace, make sure that you will create a quiet
room for your employees to have a break. That way, you will allow them to get
out of the workplace for a couple of minutes, which on the other hand will
reduce employee stress.
3. It is a good idea to allow your employees to make decisions about how to
improve their work performance. This way you will allow them to apply
personal power to the way they work and also reduce employee stress.
4. When your employees achieve goals, make sure that you thank them. That is
the best way to show that you really appreciate their
efforts.
5. When creating workstations, make sure that you will choose the best
furniture available on the market and also the best tools. This way you will
probably spend a lot of money, but you will also reduce employee stress, which
makes it worth the money.
6. Make sure that you your employees will meet and create work relationships.
That way you will not only reduce employee stress, but also you will improve
the performance of your employees. To make that happen, you may consider
creating for example book club or other place for social activity.
7. Create a gym, because that way you will reduce employee stress easily.
Furthermore, you will allow your employees to live healthier and a lot better
life. In addition, the gym will allow them to create relationships, which will help
them to increase their work performance.
8. Finally, make sure that you will offer onsite chair massage. Although, this may
seem as the oddest thing to do to reduce employee stress, There are many studies
that show that this way you will lower the anxiety level among your
employees. Furthermore, the speed and accuracy of math computation will
rapidly increase.
9.Encourage career development. The lack of career opportunities, guidance and
support are major sources of pressure for employees and lead to lower levels
of satisfaction and more stress. Your staff needs to know you support them in
their growth, and that this organization is taking concrete steps to develop their
career potential. Keep "re-recruiting" your staff. Make sure they’re being
challenged, exposed to opportunities to maximize their skills and helped to develop
in their jobs. Help them to feel like their work makes
difference.
10.Reward and appreciate staff. Management professor Peter Drucker advised us
to be clear about the results we want, and when we find someone producing
those results, ask them to share what it is they do that works, encourage others
to do the same, and recognize and reward the desirable behavior. If people
aren't rewarded for the progress they make, say other experts, like a rubber band
they'll go back to what they were doing before. There's no end to the list of ways
to recognize and honor employees, from a thank-you note for a job well done
to a sandwich named after them in the company cafeteria. Be creative.
11.Give Employees As Much Control Over Their Jobs As Possible - Research shows
that control is the biggest factor in whether people feel stressed out or
invigorated when facing a challenge. The more control people have over their
work, the greater their job satisfaction, the higher their work quality, and the
lower their stress level. Giving employees control includes giving them the power
to make job-related decisions, the flexibility to organize their work in the way
they find optimal, and the authority to find make improvements on how their job
is done. Making this work requires providing employees with the training,
coaching, and information they need to make intelligent
decisions.
12.Communicate Clearly and Often About Everything Important - One of the
greatest sources of employee stress is not knowing - not knowing about
changes taking place in the company, not knowing their supervisor's job
and performance expectations, and not knowing if they are doing a good
job. Communicating clearly in these areas not only reduces employee stress,
it also helps them do a far better job.
13. Talk With Your Employees About What Makes Your Company Great, How You
Bring Value To Your Customers, and How Your Employees 14.Make That
Possible - People want to feel part of something great, and they want to feel that
they are making a significant contribution to that greatness. When they feel this way, they not only become energized by challenges, they're also more able to endure difficulties without becoming burnt out. You can put this principle into action by
making sure you always deliver a high quality product or service, by talking with employees about the value your company provides to your customers, and explaining how them doing high quality work makes it all possible.
15.Make Sure Supervisors Know How to Bring Out the Best in People - Supervisors
play a huge role in employee morale, performance, and stress level. Supervisors who know how to provide guidance, support, and encouragement minimize employee stress. Supervisors with poor management skills or with personal problems, not only can't
help employees deal with stressful times, they themselves are a tremendous source of stress. The time and financial resources you invest in selecting and training managers
will pay huge dividends in reducing employee stress, increasing productivity, and minimizing turnover.
16.Encourage Employees to Talk Freely and Support One Another - An "all work and
no play" environment burns out people quickly. Having a workplace where co-workers can talk without worrying about getting into trouble, is especially important in high pressure jobs. Encouraging connections among co-workers also reduces stress ,because having social support reduces the negative effects of stressful situations. According to a large body of scientific research, having supportive friends and family members is one
of the most important factors influencing a person's ability to handle stress and major
life crises without becoming physically or emotionally compromised.
17.Help Employees Design Their Jobs To Be As Rewarding As Possible - Although
not all jobs are equally rewarding and fulfilling, much can be done to make even the
least desirable ones more enjoyable. The more opportunity employees have to
make decisions, use their mind, and take responsibility, the more fulfilled they will be.
To make this work, employees need to be involved in the job enrichment process.
If changes are made without their input, this will most likely backfire. If employees
have worked for years in an environment where they were told what to do, it might
take time for them to learn how to take a more responsible and active approach to
their jobs.
18.Improve Your Hiring and Orientation Process - Because the first few months on the job are often the most stressful, new employees are often the most vulnerable to accidents and injuries. For companies that have a "sink or swim" approach to new employees, these first few months are also a time of high turnover. The more effective your hiring, new hire orientation, and training is, the more likely new employees will be well-suited, and prepared, fortheirjobs.
19.Make Sure Employees Have the Resources and Training to Do Their Jobs Well - When people feel inadequate, when they feel ill-equipped to handle a challenge,
they get stressed out. If employees don't have the tools, technology, time, staff, or training to do their job's well, they are going to be stressed out, and won't be able to
work at their true potential. Investing in these areas pays huge dividends both in terms
[attachment=66758]
Introduction to Employee Stress and
Job satisfaction
Employee stress is recognized world-wide as a major challenge to workers’ health
and the healthiness of their organizations . Workers who are stressed are also more
likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive and less safe at work.
Their organizations are less likely to be successful in a competitive market.
In Simple Words Stress is defined as a response to a demand that is placed upon you.
Stress in a normal reaction when your brain recognizes a threat. When the threat is perceived, your body releases hormones that activate your “fight or flight” response.
This fight or flight response is not limited to perceiving a threat, but in less severe cases,
is triggered when we encounter unexpected events. Psychologist Richard S. Lazarus best described stress as “a condition or feeling that a person experiences when they perceive
that the demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to
mobilize.” For most people, stress is a negative experience
Stress results from a mismatch between the demands and pressures on the person, on
the one hand, and their knowledge and abilities, on the other. It challenges their ability
to cope with work. This includes not only situations where the pressures
of work exceed the worker’s ability to cope but also where the worker’s knowledge
and abilities are not sufficiently Utilized and that is a problem for them. Stress can
be brought about by pressures at home and at work. Employers cannot usually
protect workers from stress arising outside of work, but they can protect them from
stress that arises through work. Stress at work can be a real problem to the organization
as well as for its workers. Good management and good work organization are the best
forms of stress prevention. If employees are already stressed, their managers should
be aware of it and know how to help.
Job satisfaction describes how content an individual is with his or her job. It is a
relatively recent term since in previous centuries the jobs available to a particular
person were often predetermined by the occupation of that person’s parent.
There are a variety of factors that can influence a person’s level of job satisfaction.
Some of these factors include the level of pay and benefits, the perceived fairness
o the promotion system within a company, the quality of the working conditions,
leadership and social relationships, the job itself (the variety of tasks involved,
the interest and challenge the job generates, and the clarity of the
job description/requirements).
How does it affect you?
Stress may cause you to have physiological, behavioral or even psychological effects.
1. Physiological – hormone release triggers your fight or flight response. These
hormones help you to either fight harder or run faster. They increase heart rate,
blood pressure, and sweating. Stress has been tied to heart disease. Because of the
increase in heart rate and blood pressure, prolonged stress increases the tension that is
put on the arteries. It also affects your immune system which is why cold and flu
illness usually show up during exams.
2. Behavioral – it may cause you to be jumpy, excitable, or even irritable. The effects
of stress may cause some people to drink or smoke heavily, neglect exercise or
proper nutrition, or overuse either the television or the computer.
3. Psychological – the response to stress may decrease your ability to work or
interact effectively with other people, and be less able to make good decisions.
Stress has also been known to play a part in anxiety and depression.
MANAGING EMPLOYEE STRESS
Every responds to stress in a different way, it is only by understanding the nature
of individual responses that you can start fighting stress yourself and others. Many s
trategies have been developed to help manage stress in the work place. Some are
strategies for individuals, and other is geared toward organizations.
Behavioral Self-Control:-
In ultimate analysis, effective management if stress presupposes exercise of
self-control on the part of an employee. By consciously analyzing the cause
and consequences of their own behavior, the employees can achieve self-control. They
can further develop awareness of their own limits of tolerance and learn to anticipate
their own responses to various stressful situations. The strategy involves increasing
an individuals control over the situations rather than being solely controlled by them.
Counseling:
Personal counseling help employees understand and appreciate a diverse
workforce, the holistic approach adopted by the counselor gives him a comprehensive
view of the employee as client and enable him to deal the issues of work related problems
in a larger context with his awareness of the inter-relationship among problems
in adjustment with self, other and environment and that a work concern will effect
personal life and vice-versa, the employee would receive help regarding the problem in
all life.
SCOPE OF STUDY
The study of employee stress is necessary to the level of stress in
employees working in an organization. It is essential to know the main
causes behind such stress, these can be work related or non-work
related causes. It is required to know that what important steps are
being taken by organization to cope up with such rising stress, in other
words the use of which strategies is being made. The questionnaire will
be based on reasons behind, the level of stress, the impact on
organization and employee as well. As stress has negative impact
on employee’s health so this study related to “employee stress” has
wider scope.
conclusion
1. First, the best way to reduce employee stress is to produce really nice and
comfortable work environment. If you manage to make your workplace a lot .
more comfortable, your employees will start to work a lot better. The reason for
that is the fact that if a person feels better, he or she will work better.
2. If there is a lot of sound on the workplace, make sure that you will create a quiet
room for your employees to have a break. That way, you will allow them to get
out of the workplace for a couple of minutes, which on the other hand will
reduce employee stress.
3. It is a good idea to allow your employees to make decisions about how to
improve their work performance. This way you will allow them to apply
personal power to the way they work and also reduce employee stress.
4. When your employees achieve goals, make sure that you thank them. That is
the best way to show that you really appreciate their
efforts.
5. When creating workstations, make sure that you will choose the best
furniture available on the market and also the best tools. This way you will
probably spend a lot of money, but you will also reduce employee stress, which
makes it worth the money.
6. Make sure that you your employees will meet and create work relationships.
That way you will not only reduce employee stress, but also you will improve
the performance of your employees. To make that happen, you may consider
creating for example book club or other place for social activity.
7. Create a gym, because that way you will reduce employee stress easily.
Furthermore, you will allow your employees to live healthier and a lot better
life. In addition, the gym will allow them to create relationships, which will help
them to increase their work performance.
8. Finally, make sure that you will offer onsite chair massage. Although, this may
seem as the oddest thing to do to reduce employee stress, There are many studies
that show that this way you will lower the anxiety level among your
employees. Furthermore, the speed and accuracy of math computation will
rapidly increase.
9.Encourage career development. The lack of career opportunities, guidance and
support are major sources of pressure for employees and lead to lower levels
of satisfaction and more stress. Your staff needs to know you support them in
their growth, and that this organization is taking concrete steps to develop their
career potential. Keep "re-recruiting" your staff. Make sure they’re being
challenged, exposed to opportunities to maximize their skills and helped to develop
in their jobs. Help them to feel like their work makes
difference.
10.Reward and appreciate staff. Management professor Peter Drucker advised us
to be clear about the results we want, and when we find someone producing
those results, ask them to share what it is they do that works, encourage others
to do the same, and recognize and reward the desirable behavior. If people
aren't rewarded for the progress they make, say other experts, like a rubber band
they'll go back to what they were doing before. There's no end to the list of ways
to recognize and honor employees, from a thank-you note for a job well done
to a sandwich named after them in the company cafeteria. Be creative.
11.Give Employees As Much Control Over Their Jobs As Possible - Research shows
that control is the biggest factor in whether people feel stressed out or
invigorated when facing a challenge. The more control people have over their
work, the greater their job satisfaction, the higher their work quality, and the
lower their stress level. Giving employees control includes giving them the power
to make job-related decisions, the flexibility to organize their work in the way
they find optimal, and the authority to find make improvements on how their job
is done. Making this work requires providing employees with the training,
coaching, and information they need to make intelligent
decisions.
12.Communicate Clearly and Often About Everything Important - One of the
greatest sources of employee stress is not knowing - not knowing about
changes taking place in the company, not knowing their supervisor's job
and performance expectations, and not knowing if they are doing a good
job. Communicating clearly in these areas not only reduces employee stress,
it also helps them do a far better job.
13. Talk With Your Employees About What Makes Your Company Great, How You
Bring Value To Your Customers, and How Your Employees 14.Make That
Possible - People want to feel part of something great, and they want to feel that
they are making a significant contribution to that greatness. When they feel this way, they not only become energized by challenges, they're also more able to endure difficulties without becoming burnt out. You can put this principle into action by
making sure you always deliver a high quality product or service, by talking with employees about the value your company provides to your customers, and explaining how them doing high quality work makes it all possible.
15.Make Sure Supervisors Know How to Bring Out the Best in People - Supervisors
play a huge role in employee morale, performance, and stress level. Supervisors who know how to provide guidance, support, and encouragement minimize employee stress. Supervisors with poor management skills or with personal problems, not only can't
help employees deal with stressful times, they themselves are a tremendous source of stress. The time and financial resources you invest in selecting and training managers
will pay huge dividends in reducing employee stress, increasing productivity, and minimizing turnover.
16.Encourage Employees to Talk Freely and Support One Another - An "all work and
no play" environment burns out people quickly. Having a workplace where co-workers can talk without worrying about getting into trouble, is especially important in high pressure jobs. Encouraging connections among co-workers also reduces stress ,because having social support reduces the negative effects of stressful situations. According to a large body of scientific research, having supportive friends and family members is one
of the most important factors influencing a person's ability to handle stress and major
life crises without becoming physically or emotionally compromised.
17.Help Employees Design Their Jobs To Be As Rewarding As Possible - Although
not all jobs are equally rewarding and fulfilling, much can be done to make even the
least desirable ones more enjoyable. The more opportunity employees have to
make decisions, use their mind, and take responsibility, the more fulfilled they will be.
To make this work, employees need to be involved in the job enrichment process.
If changes are made without their input, this will most likely backfire. If employees
have worked for years in an environment where they were told what to do, it might
take time for them to learn how to take a more responsible and active approach to
their jobs.
18.Improve Your Hiring and Orientation Process - Because the first few months on the job are often the most stressful, new employees are often the most vulnerable to accidents and injuries. For companies that have a "sink or swim" approach to new employees, these first few months are also a time of high turnover. The more effective your hiring, new hire orientation, and training is, the more likely new employees will be well-suited, and prepared, fortheirjobs.
19.Make Sure Employees Have the Resources and Training to Do Their Jobs Well - When people feel inadequate, when they feel ill-equipped to handle a challenge,
they get stressed out. If employees don't have the tools, technology, time, staff, or training to do their job's well, they are going to be stressed out, and won't be able to
work at their true potential. Investing in these areas pays huge dividends both in terms