Stress In The Workplace

Stress in your office or workplace isn't just a personal matter. Job stress affects everyone negatively, including your residents and prospects! Job stress can lead to reduced productivity, high employee turnover, decreased resident retention, and even injury! So how bad is it? A recent Gallup poll found the following startling statistics...

-80% of American workers feel stress on the job and nearly half said they needed help managing that stress.

-14% of respondents felt like striking a coworker in the last year, but didn�t.

-18% of workers had experienced some kind of threat or verbal intimidation in the workplace in the last year.

Now, things might not be quite so serious in your office, and you are probably the best judge of your own environment. But consider the following, more general findings of a recent, comprehensive report on job stress...

-25% of workers view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.

-26% said they were "often or very often burned out or stressed by their work."

-40% of job turnover is due to stress.

-60 to 80% of accidents on the job are stress related.

Even low-level amounts of stress can affect productivity and morale. These costs may not be obvious, but they are huge in the long run. Resident retention and increased leasing depend on your employees' attitudes. If leases or residents are lost because a leasing consultant is stressed out and unpleasant, or one of your maintenance crew doesn't go the extra mile and leaves an apartment dirty or unrepaired, your bottom line suffers. Even something as subtle as a "stressed-out" atmosphere in your leasing office can negatively affect leasing rates and retention.

Job turnover is another big, unseen cost. It takes time, money and energy to train new employees who don't always work out. If you keep your valuable employees happy in their jobs you win big time! So, we know job stress is a problem, but what are the causes and how can you reduce or eliminate it? Rent & Retain has some easy and effective ways for you to figure out what's keeping you and your employees stressed out!

Common Causes of Workplace Stress
The causes of stress are found in both worker characteristics and their surroundings. Individual characteristics are a lot harder to change, and you should focus on attitudes and compatibility when hiring and promoting employees. You can also encourage compatibility through group functions and positive reinforcement. The physical surroundings of your employees and their job design are the easiest places to identify stressors and their solutions. Let's take a look at some common problems and what you can do about them.

Problems with Physical Surroundings
*Problem: Harsh or inappropriate lighting.

*Solution: Try to bring in as much natural light as possible. Natural light elevates the mood and helps maintain a natural "body clock." Prolonged exposure to artificial lighting can be a subtle, but serious, stressor. If you can't provide natural lighting, create an outdoor or naturally lit area for lunches and breaks, so employees can get some relief from harsh artificial lighting.

*Problem: Tobacco smoke can be a chronic stressor and lead to respiratory problems.

*Solution: Even if you've already banned smoking in the workplace you might consider where smoking employees take their cigarette breaks. Are they by open windows or ventilation intake areas? Make sure any designated smoking areas are well away from the working area and not leaking into the building.

*Problem: The colors in your office or workspace are creating stress. For example, some people might associate red with anger and aggression.

*Solution: Analyze the types of tasks that employees are doing in different areas. Consider changing paint colors in rooms designated for different kinds of work.

*Problem: Excessive or repetitive background noise, voluntary (TV, radio) or involuntary (coworkers, ringing phones). Noise can be a low-level stressor that affects mood and energy over time.

*Solution: Do the best you can to reduce noises in your workplace. You can use partitions and window coverings, insulation, or create "quiet" areas for important tasks.

*Problem: Clutter and messiness are seriously affecting moods and creating stress because no one can find anything!

*Solution: Be brutally honest about the essential, and the unnecessary. Get rid of papers, magazines, and unneeded objects that have established themselves in your space. Simplifying your surroundings will have a profound and soothing effect on your day to day activities.

*Problem: Your computer workstations are truly uncomfortable and employees can't focus!

*Solution: An ergonomically designed workstation will reduce the risk of injury, eye strain, back pain and other stressors. Make sure monitors are at eye level, chairs have armrests and proper back support. Most importantly, listen to your employees and what they need to be comfortable.


Problems with Job Design
*Problem: Heavy workload, infrequent breaks and hectic routines.

*Solution: Acknowledge that your employees are not machines! They are vulnerable workers, and the design of their jobs matter. Ensuring appropriate workloads, adequate breaks and interspersing repetitive and "brainless" tasks with jobs that challenge your workers' abilities and skills are essential steps to a well designed job. You'll benefit in the long run with happier and more effective employees.

*Problem: Management styles that don't help employees be effective.

*Solution: Consider your management style and its weaknesses. Ask for constructive (and anonymous) feedback. Do you encourage employee participation in decision making? Do you have good communication and family-friendly policies? These are the kinds of questions to ask, and make sure you adjust to any problems you may find!

*Problem: Job insecurity, conflicting or uncertain job expectations, lack of room for growth or advancement.

*Solution: Have you gone on autopilot in terms of your employee relationships? It's vital to stay current with employees and have a well-defined job description.

Employees should clearly understand their tasks and expectations, and have a good idea of how they may advance in their jobs. At least once a year you should analyze job performance, work on problem areas, and reward or promote well-performing employees.

Take Action!
Use this article as a starting point to analyze the stress level in your workplace and start working towards a less stressful environment. The most important thing is for you to honestly look at your workplace and truly listen to your employees. Every place is unique and every workplace can benefit from less stress and better working conditions for all!

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