A Case Study: Dispatches from the War on Stress
Situation
This article discusses the global effects of workplace stress. In this day’s business world, employee’s psychological health is overshadowed by the need to meet numbers and expectations. With a higher demand to meet goals, along with the increased pressure from competing firms, companies have been distinctively increasing employee workload; which in turn, produces a build-up of work-related stress for the employee. As a result, more cases of employee dissatisfaction and burn-out are amounting and becoming more apparent. Many companies are now tackling this growing issue of stress with different thoughts and methods to help reduce it for a more effective and happy employee.
Key Issues Mark Ostermann, Chicago office of Boston Consulting Group. Mr. Ostermann was a case at which work-place stress has resulted in him to put excessive hours (60+) for a month and a half straight in order to finish a project. Luckily, the “Red Zone” police (a group created by the company to help with employee satisfaction) was able to intervene before the stress became unbearable. Not much later, Ostermann was within an action plan to solve his overwork problem. In no time, more people were added to his team to divide the work along with better managerial support. Renault automaker. In the course of five months, three engineers committed suicide who left notes stating about their unreasonable work-loads, immense work-place pressure, and humiliating criticisms in front of colleagues. Known for setting grand targets to boost sales, Renault has acknowledged the pressure put on their employees and committed a plan along with $10 million to alleviate workplace stress. In addition, the company began to train managers on how to avoid negative stress along with psychologists to help educate senior executives. The company also has put an effort to set up more places for socializing and relaxation.
Problem
There is no question that the workplace is a very stressful
This article discusses the global effects of workplace stress. In this day’s business world, employee’s psychological health is overshadowed by the need to meet numbers and expectations. With a higher demand to meet goals, along with the increased pressure from competing firms, companies have been distinctively increasing employee workload; which in turn, produces a build-up of work-related stress for the employee. As a result, more cases of employee dissatisfaction and burn-out are amounting and becoming more apparent. Many companies are now tackling this growing issue of stress with different thoughts and methods to help reduce it for a more effective and happy employee.
Key Issues Mark Ostermann, Chicago office of Boston Consulting Group. Mr. Ostermann was a case at which work-place stress has resulted in him to put excessive hours (60+) for a month and a half straight in order to finish a project. Luckily, the “Red Zone” police (a group created by the company to help with employee satisfaction) was able to intervene before the stress became unbearable. Not much later, Ostermann was within an action plan to solve his overwork problem. In no time, more people were added to his team to divide the work along with better managerial support. Renault automaker. In the course of five months, three engineers committed suicide who left notes stating about their unreasonable work-loads, immense work-place pressure, and humiliating criticisms in front of colleagues. Known for setting grand targets to boost sales, Renault has acknowledged the pressure put on their employees and committed a plan along with $10 million to alleviate workplace stress. In addition, the company began to train managers on how to avoid negative stress along with psychologists to help educate senior executives. The company also has put an effort to set up more places for socializing and relaxation.
Problem
There is no question that the workplace is a very stressful
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