The presence of stress in the workplace can have major impacts on the health and safety of employees. Rising stress levels have been blamed on work stressors such as the threat of terrorism, the information age, widespread layoffs, global competition, violent crime, or any other modern threat Americans zero in on. According to one study, job stress costs corporate America an estimated $200 billion annually in absenteeism, lost productivity, accidents, and medical insurance.
Assignment: Respond to each of the following questions:
1. In Chapter 11, the author of your text discusses different sources of workplace stress.
(a) Based on your work experience, describe one source/type of stress you have experienced.
(b) Based on your author’s discussion of human reactions to workplace stress, how did you respond?
2. Discuss two specific approaches an organization can utilize to reduce stress levels and provide support. Has an organization you have worked for employed any of these approaches? How successful were they?
Draw on textbook reading and integrate it with your work experience to substantiate your answer.