Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

For a lot of our workers, job stress remains one of the top concerns they face.

Rob Moodie of The Age says that some of the causes of stress in the workplace are "poor communication, role ambiguity, little participation in the decisions that affect one's job, interpersonal conflict, bullying, conflict with home life, and inflexible work schedules."

Some companies have responded to these type of issues by offering stress management classes to attempt to help employees deal with the situations. The problem with that is if the company culture is the problem, all that does is give temporary relief and comes back as soon as the employees are brought back into the unchanged situation.

When dealing with the issue, the first thing that can be done is to include employees in the process of making decisions that will impact their lives. The feeling of helplessness from not being part of the process is the beginning of the stress problem in the first place.

We should ask for their input on their job expectations. Is there really too much to do, or are there practical steps that could be taken to make things more efficient? Are those who need more flexibility in their work schedules offered alternatives that the company and they can live with? Do we stay in communication so that the rumors that spread so quickly can be stopped before they rage through the entire work force? Is there any unsurety about the job that is required to be accomplished? Are there reasonable efforts to offer family-friendly options? Do the employees feel that the company truly cares?

These are the types of important things that need to be met and communicated with that cause the stress that causes employees to function far below their ability. Once things are heard and taken in, it is just as important that they are acted on. It is worse to hear things out and do nothing, than to hear them and leave them as they are.

What are some of the things you have done to relieve stress in the workplace?