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Stress - Who needs it?
A short article that introduces the reader to Optima's approach to 'stress'.
Who needs stress!!? Why should I worry?
The simple answer is we all need ‘stress’. In its most basic form, the chemical adrenalin based reaction that is ‘stress’ is what gets us out of bed in the morning, gets us to work, motivates us to ‘act’. Acute levels of stress increase energy levels, activity, the immune system and the metabolic rate. It develops coping skills in individuals and promotes personal growth. So why worry!? It’s a worry because employers now have a responsibility for ensuring that they don’t actively contribute to pushing these acute ‘output enhancing’ levels to the point at which they become ‘chronic’.
What is an acute level of stress for one person could represent a chronic level of stress for another. In the context of the workplace this presents both an opportunity and a threat. The opportunity is realised by taking a positive proactive approach to stress management: acknowledge it and enhance its potential. Positive management of the workforce, where the employer is looking at every possible aspect of the working environment, to allow every employee to work at their peak, is going to pass on many benefits: increased output, higher levels of motivation, staff loyalty, reduced staff turnover, reduced sickness related absence to name but a few.
The threats are realised all too easily: don’t acknowledge the stress needs of your human resource and you will burn them out. The significant costs associated with loss of production due to staff absences and reduced productivity, increased manpower costs associated with agency cover, reduced loyalty and motivation are now joined by the very real prospect of some serious legal bills. The record was set in 2000 by the £300,000 win by a teacher who claimed successfully that their nervous breakdown was realised as a direct result of their employers lack of care. All employers now have a common law duty of care for their employee’s physical and psychological well- being. A quick visit to the Health & Safety Executive website will leave you under no illusions regarding this time bomb. The only way to act is to act positively.
Use it – don’t abuse it!
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