Stress at work can diminish the quality of life outside of work. It is important to keep as much stress out of the home as possible. Is a company liable for an individual’s claims of job-related anxiety or depression? Once they are aware of the problem, employers have a legal duty to address it. However, this doesn’t mean that the company is solely responsible.
Stress at work could be caused by a number of factors. The economic downturn, financial concerns, or job security fears that may not even be necessary are just some of the possible factors of workplace stress (Williams, 2009). Companies should only be liable their losses that are caused by stress-related absences. They should not be liable for other problems as long as they are following state legal stress management standards.
Employers are taking several actions to reduce stress in the workplaces. They are providing training to middle and lower-level managers (Williams, 2009). This is reducing the amount of managers with poor people skills which can cause stress for employees under them. Other employers are requiring employees who are returning from a stress-related absence to take surveys that give employers a better understanding of the problems at work (Williams, 2009).
These surveys help the staff communicate which is important in any workplace. Great communicators are usually the most efficient managers because they can understand employee’s needs and make sure that employees understand the needs of the company. This results in maximum efficiency. The best communicator I know is an outstanding listener and can relate your problems to other situations. This is important to make sure all parties are on the same page and that he has understood the problem at hand. After you are finished, he then provides feedback, and is willing to admit when he doesn’t know. He makes sure to listen and comprehend before providing feedback. Listening is one of the most important parts of communicating. The old saying, “You have two ears and one mouth because you should listen twice as much as you speak,” is a very true statement for managers. Communicating is important in any field, but when managing people it is a necessity.
-Andrew Campbell
References
Williams, N. (2009, February 10). Employers set out to reduce stress. Personnel Today.
Retrieved September 22, 2009 from LexisNexis Academic database.
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