Impact of Stress on Job Safety

Even though February is traditionally the month for lovers, it is also American Heart Month. Studies show that work-related stress affects the heart health of as many as 83% of employees in the US, taking the lives of nearly 120,000 workers each year.

How Workplace Stress Affects Employees

The first thing workers need to realize is that constant stress — whether from a heavy workload or a traffic-choked daily commute — can have a real physical impact on the body. Stress has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including appetite problems, poor sleep, mood swings, and of course, heart disease.

Medical researchers at the University of Rochester, NY, have said that long-term stress leads to high levels of cortisol, which causes the person to experience elevated blood sugar, cholesterol, and hypertension. All these factors result in poor heart health, which can trigger a variety of issues, including an increased risk of stroke.

Chronic stress also causes inflammation, which is a well-known instigator of heart disease.

In addition, stress can make people indulge in bad habits that increase their risk of heart disease. When stressed, many people binge on unhealthy foods and feel so exhausted that they find it difficult to get up in the morning, let alone work out.

How to Cope

To start with, businesses and organizations need to recognize this very real threat to their employees’ health and take tangible steps to address the problem of stress. Once employers understand the causes and effects of stress on their workers, they can begin to find and implement effective solutions.

Here are some tried-and-true ways organizations can help their employees de-stress:

Offer Bonuses & Incentives

More than 70% of workers say they feel stressed on a daily basis due to their financial situation, so addressing these financial stressors should be a priority for employers. Offering financial incentives, extra bonuses, increased paid leave, or a pay raise can easily help rectify this problem.

As an employer, you can also educate your employees about how to invest, borrow responsibly, and pay off outstanding debts efficiently.

Create a Safe, Peaceful Work Environment

If an employee is placed in a highly stressful situation — such as an unreasonable deadline or unclear expectations — their body automatically goes into fight-or-flight mode. Their cortisol levels rise, their ability to innovate and strategize diminishes, and eventually they burn out.

To prevent this, improve psychological safety in the workplace. Build trust with employees and make them feel that their voices are being heard. Let them know it is okay to fail, and praise them for their out-of-the-box ideas.

Another important factor is ensuring regular break times. The human brain can only focus for 90 to 120 minutes before it needs a break. Encourage employees to step away from their desks and take a short walk every couple of hours.

Create Strong Engagement with Employees

When employees feel an emotional and mental connection to their workplace, it leads to several positive benefits, including improved job satisfaction, reduced stress and anxiety, and a lower risk of accidents and injuries.

According to the Harvard Business Review, organizations that frequently recognize their employees for strong performance have a healthier work environment and lower turnover. Feeling valued helps workers cope with the demands of work without burning out.

What to Do If You Have Suffered a Work-Related Stress Injury

If you feel you are experiencing emotional stress at work, the first thing you need to do is talk to someone about it. Consider discussing it with your superiors and submitting a formal report. This documentation will become part of your employment records and could serve as useful evidence if you decide to take action.

It is also recommended to keep a journal detailing the events, dates, and names of people present when a particularly stressful situation occurred. The more information you write down, the more helpful it will be if you decide to pursue a legal solution.

Suffering a stress-related injury due to your work or work environment is a serious issue that deserves the full attention of a qualified Workers’ Comp attorney.

If you or a loved one has suffered a work injury due to work-related stress in Pennsylvania, Robinson Law LLC can help you file a claim and pursue compensation from the responsible party. Paula Robinson, Esq. has been handling Workers’ Comp cases in PA for 32 years and knows exactly how to get her clients the compensation they deserve.

To schedule a no-obligation, free consultation, call (215) 804-9924 or leave a message here.