By ANDY SMITH
The Providence Journal
Monday, October 29, 2007
Stress in the workplace is costing American business $300 billion a year.
That's the figure the American Psychological Association puts on the loss of productivity, absenteeism, turnover and increased medical costs caused by stress at work. According to a poll conducted by the association, two-thirds of American employees say work has a significant impact on their stress level, and one in four has called in sick as a result of stress.
Causes of stress, the association said, include job uncertainty, cost-cutting, a relentless demand for higher productivity and the proliferation of communications tools -- e-mail, cell phones, Blackberries -- that blur the boundaries between work and home.
Joseph Trunzo, an assistant professor of applied psychology at Bryant University who also has a private psychological practice, said things are unlikely to get any better. "It's probably getting worse," he said. "Job cutbacks mean fewer people are expected to do more. We're constantly being inundated with more information and expectations."
Workers under stress, Trunzo said, are less efficient and less healthy than more contented employees, and that's bad for the bottom line.
He said that while it's true work is far safer now than it was 150 years ago for many Americans, that doesn't mean there's any less stress. "Stress is stress," he said. "The body responds the same way, whether you're in an air-conditioned office or working in a mine or on a farm. The wear and tear on your psychological well-being is still there."
Trunzo said stress is often a matter of perception. If workers believe their workload is too great -- whether it is or not -- they will develop symptoms of stress. Smart companies, he said, recognize the problem and take measures to fight stress.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has developed the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards program at the national and state levels to recognize companies that are taking measures to deal with employee stress. The Rhode Island Psychological Association will recognize local companies at a presentation at Bryant University on Wednesday. "How can we help companies create a healthy environment and still meet their needs for productivity?" said Patricia Raymond, a psychologist at the Zambarano unit at Eleanor Slater Hospital, and the Rhode Island Psychological Association's representative to the APA regarding the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards program.
Raymond said stress can result in "presentee-ism," in which an employee is physically present but mentally absent from the job.
The APA and local psychologists had several suggestions for both companies and employees on how to deal with stress.
Sometimes, it can be the small things that makes the difference. Trunzo said he knows of a company that arranges for a mechanic to pick up employee cars that need repair, fix them, and bring them back.
"Giving someone a raise doesn't necessarily alleviate stress, but a more flexible schedule, maybe allowing an employee to work at home, might work better," he said. "Even if a worker just feels the company is paying attention, it's helpful. You don't have to build as gym on site. But maybe you can strike a deal with a local gym to give employees a discount, or distribute coupons for a spa."
Communication within a company can help alleviate stress, local psychologists said, especially if communication is a two-way street.
"There needs to be a flow of communication from management to line staff, but it should go in both directions," said psychologist Michael Raciti. "Some companies are great at sending information down, but there's nothing going the other way. That's not communication; it's simply information." Raciti is a partner in Sobel & Raciti Associates, which creates employee assistance programs for companies and consults on a wide variety of employee issues.
Trunzo said it's important to set boundaries between work and home, even if that means turning off the cell phone. "Stress at work can invade the home life, and then there's no respite or sanctuary from stress," he said. "Balance is the key component. We need to tend to our personal lives as well as our work lives."
The American Psychological Association has some recommendations for how companies can help, such as offering flexible schedules, providing assistance with childcare, helping employees with personal financial issues, and providing flexible leave options beyond those mandated by law.
In a global economy, workplace stress can occur anywhere. But psychologists interviewed said Americans seem especially prone to the problem.
"There's a driven-to-achieve mentality here," said Raciti. "That's a good thing, in a way, because it contributes to our economic achievement. But it contributes to a lot of stress."
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