by Judith Belmont, M.S., L.P.C., and Susan K. Lessack, Esq.

Today’s economic climate has caused employers to cut budgets and workforces—and expect workers to do more with less.

As they see colleagues laid off and their employers cutting back, employees are more concerned than ever about their own job security. And they’re also worried about their spouses and family members keeping their jobs, too.

All of this has driven stress levels in the workplace to new heights.

Suffering in silence

This summer, the world saw the sort of behavior high-stress workplaces can engender: JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater threw a tantrum at a difficult passenger after their flight landed, cursed over the public-address system, took a beer or two from the galley and popped the emergency exit slide to stage a dramatic exit.

Slater became something of a folk hero, attracting hundreds of thousands of fans on Facebook. Many saw him living out their own “take this job and shove it” fantasies.

But his rash behavior also got him in trouble with the law, and he faces the possibility of spending seven years in jail.

Most of the people who got a vicarious thrill out of Slater’s exploits don’t have the option to deploy their own escape slide. But like Slater, they’re fed up with difficult customers, co-workers and even bosses. Instead of sticking it to the man, most of us have to stick it out, in pressure-cooker workplaces.

According to Northwestern National Life, one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the No. 1 stressor in their lives, and one of its surveys has shown that 40% of workers report their job is “very or extremely stressful.”

The costs of workplace stress

It makes sense for employers to address stress issues in their workforces, since increased stress affects not only employees, but employers’ bottom lines. Stressed employees are more likely to:

• Experience physical and mental health problems, which often leads to more sick time and disability leaves
• Have poor morale and be less motivated on the job
• Cause co-workers to be resentful about having to pick up the slack, which can lead to interpersonal conflict on the job
• Be less productive and energetic at work
• Experience or cause incidents of workplace bullying or violence.

In fact, according to the wellness company Staywell Health Management, workplace stress is the most costly modifiable employee health risk factor, and the fallout from stress related issues accounts for 25% of a company’s total health expenditures.

In addition to increasing benefit costs, stress also leads to staffing and morale challenges when employees request stress-related disability or FMLA leave.

And, while employers and co-workers often don’t perceive stress-related illnesses as “real,” the EEOC and the courts probably will.

Stress prevention is key

There are some things that employers can do to promote a healthy workplace:

Promote a sense of justice and fairness. Management and HR professionals need to convey to employees that they have a place to turn to if they feel like they’re not treated fairly, and that information they provide about workplace conditions and situations will be confidential and handled without retaliation. (Fear of retaliation for complaining is a major stressor in the workplace.)

Recognize the importance of a sense of control in decision-making. Employees fare better when they feel they have some say in how things are done on the job.

Having input about schedules and work rules, for example, offers workers a sense of control and makes them feel valued. Brainstorming sessions, small-group task forces and suggestion boxes can help employees feel like they have a stake in the future of the company.

Institute preventive programs. Offering training on stress management, communication and conflict resolution by experienced facilitators can help employees boost their “emotional intelligence” and adjustment skills.

Have an employee assistance program. As part of your benefits package, offer and publicize a confidential EAP to help employees deal with their personal stressors.

Provide supervisory coaching. Where needed, employers should support supervisors who need training or tips on how to manage and lead effectively, or how to improve their communication skills.

Identify employees at risk. Try to address stress-related problems before they escalate. Be attentive to signs that employees are at risk and don’t ignore problematic or unusual behavior. Working toward this goal, employers should implement and publicize guidelines on workplace conduct, spelling out clear consequences for violations.

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Judith Belmont, M.S., L.P.C., is an author, consultant and psychotherapist and is the founder of Worksite Insights, which offers workplace mental health seminars and consultation. Her web site is www.worksiteinsights.com. Contact her at jabelmont@worksiteinsights.com.