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| Hiring, Terminations and Retention |
| Job Stress: Temporary workers can ease the symptoms of employee burnout |
Jerry knew it wasn’t just a lack of sleep that was causing his migraines, because even when he was in bed, he tossed and turned for up to an hour before he could doze off. Things at work had been so backed-up for so long, he was putting in twelve-hour days six days a week. He had made two costly errors on customer payrolls just this week, and his wife had taken the kids to her mother’s house for the weekend because she didn’t want them around him while he was so irritable.
According to a survey conducted by the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, problems at work are more strongly associated with healthcare complaints than any other stressor--including financial and family problems.
When job stress is prolonged, or affects large numbers of employees at the same time, a company’s bottom line suffers. For Jerry’s boss, the first indication that there was a problem was explaining accidental overcharges on client payrolls, and paying a penalty when Jerry didn’t submit a Workers’ Comp Insurance payment on time. For other employers, there may not be any immediate financial consequences, but the damage will eventually show in increased healthcare costs, decreased customer satisfaction, and compromised worker productivity.
Employers can prevent job stress by taking some of the following precautions recommended by American Psychologist:
- Ensure that workload is consistent with employees’ capabilities and resources
- Design jobs that give workers opportunities to use their skills in meaningful ways
- Clearly define workers’ roles and responsibilities
- Provide opportunities for social interaction among employees
- Establish work schedules that allow employees to manage their responsibilities outside of work
When the work/life balance is out of sync, your company cannot run at top efficiency. We can help ease the burden and put things back into balance by providing temporary financial staff to help manage the ebb and flow of business demands, and help keep your company on an even keel. Please contact one of our representatives today.
Source: “Stress At Work.” NIOSH. 25 July 2005. <http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html>.
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