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Stressed out over workplace stress?

With life comes change. And with change, it seems, comes stress. The American Psychological Association reports that workers at every level across the nation are experiencing increased tension and uncertainty. (1) Because workplace stress zaps productivity and keeps your workforce from performing at full potential, it's never been more important to help employees manage it.

What's causing U.S. workers to stress out?
"Certainly American workers are being asked to do more with less in today's competitive marketplace," says Catherine Macpherson, Ceridian LifeWorks product manager. "As workplace demands change, pressures can mount at home, too. Anytime you're faced with obstacles, conflicts or the demands of others -- even when you're faced with a good change like a promotion -- you're going to experience stress.

Asked how stress can affect workers physically, Macpherson answers, "Headaches, fatigue, insomnia, appetite changes, stomachaches and in other ways. It's no wonder that workers' productivity suffers when they're feeling stress. The fact remains that emotions, passages and change are part of life. But they must be managed, and managed well, if employees are to deliver maximum productivity."

Employers can take strong action to combat workplace stress
"Employers can help significantly curb workplace stress by taking proactive steps," Macpherson says. "Those that do have happier, healthier and more productive employees." When it comes to the health and productivity of your workforce, you deserve to know exactly how much value your service provides. That's why Ceridian's solutions deliver outcomes and metrics that are both measurable and meaningful.

Macpherson reports demonstrable impact on productivity issues such as workplace stress. Ceridian LifeWorks recently completed an empirical study of 1,000 people surveyed at 20 different organizations over the past year. The respondents used the Ceridian Stress Management program. The study showed:

• 52 percent lowered their stress levels at work.
• 40 percent said they improved their ability to cope with stress.
• More than 70 percent said they had less fatigue, headaches, insomnia and stomachaches.

"We saw improvement in every single stress issue," says Macpherson. "This is important to our clients because employers require relevant solutions for very real problems. For organizations that want to take action with a workplace stress program, I would encourage careful examination of the kinds of data that the program gathers and reports. Enrollment and demographics statistics are great, but they don't tell you about what's important -- behavior change. Ceridian customers know that effectiveness is measurable. They trust our outcomes-oriented approach. Our recent study really reveals just how effective a focus on outcomes can be for organizations that want to drive productivity to new heights."

Ceridian Stress Management
Because the causes of stress are likely to be highly individual, Ceridian's program provides personalized one-on-one counseling. "Our stress management program is unique because it addresses stress related to the workplace in four areas," Macpherson says. "Job-related stress, work relationships, work changes and time management issues. Improvements in any one of these areas can address key factors such as employee engagement, absenteeism and presenteeism."

Ceridian Stress Management is a six-month program that provides help from a health coach via phone and/or online. The program includes workbooks that outline different stress-reducing techniques. There is also a relaxation CD that helps people cope with stress more effectively. "Employees learn to manage issues that may seem overwhelming by tackling them one step at a time, rather than trying to fix everything at once," Macpherson explains. "They work one-on-one with an experienced personal health coach to become more aware of their stress and how it affects their job. The health coach also helps them understand what causes their workplace stress and educates them on coping skills that impact their response to stress. Most importantly, individuals learn how to take better care of themselves and deal more effectively with people and situations at work."

Highly valued achievers motivated by stress management
"One of the things we discovered in our history of helping employees with stress is that the people who come into the program actually feel good about their jobs," Macpherson says. "Many are high achievers, people who know how to take action -- exactly the employee group that provides the most value to an organization. These folks are motivated, but they are just feeling overwhelmed. They want to do better, feel better and want to succeed. They realize they need to minimize their stress and they're ready to do something about it."

A solution that brings real benefit
Overall, good self-care and general physical activity helps moderate stress levels. Healthy eating, regular physical activity and good sleep habits are very important, especially since some people tend to work long hours into the evening -- and that isn't a good routine to prepare for a sound night's sleep. Ceridian's focus is to give employees the skills they need to be alert and productive during the day.

"Our program helps people change their reaction to stress through several techniques: great communication, building relationships with colleagues and supervisors, and teaching strong relationship and interpersonal skills," says Macpherson. "We help people manage specific issues, such as how to get the information they need to resolve tasks. This personal approach, coupled with relaxation techniques, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness all play a part in our holistic stress management program. We're helping people improve their lives, which leads to greater productivity in the workplace and greater accomplishments in life."

Contact your Ceridian representative to learn more about Ceridian's Stress Management Solution.

Source:
1) APA Web site, Stress in the Workplace, http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=19.