Constructing an Organizational Stress Management Program for Employees
Rob Brown, DBA (ABD), MBA, M.Ed.
Experienced Management, Learning & Development, and Higher Education Professional | Curriculum Writer & Instructional Designer | Training Specialist | Skill Building | E-Learning Expertise
By R. M. Brown II, DBA (ABD), MBA, M.Ed.
Introduction
?According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2022), stress can occur in all people in any number of environments, and it is a natural response to perceived challenges or threats. While all people react differently to situations they encounter, nobody is immune to stress and its effects on their minds and bodies; stress can affect employees’ sleep habits, their physical health, relationships, productivity, and sense of well-being (Wilkie, 2020). 8 out of 10 workers advise that they are stressed about something at work, and therefore, it is imperative that organizations have some type of stress management program for employees. By doing so, organizational leadership can ensure that employees have a way to learn how to cope with stressful issues and situations so they can remain mentally and physically able to perform their jobs effectively, and so they can mitigate employee stress should they encounter stressful situations in the future.
Topics to be Covered in Stress Management Training
Simply telling employees that stress is something common in the workplace is not enough to make them aware of stress and how to combat stress and the toll it takes on a person. A good stress management program must cover the following elements: (1) teaching employees how to be aware of the signs of stress; this will allow them to know when stressors are present, (2) instructing participants on how to interrupt behavior patterns when they experience the beginning of a stress reaction, (3) conveying to employees how to cope and relax, (4) developing plans to minimize stressors, and (5) practicing all of the aforementioned steps in low-stress situations so that employees can build their confidence and have the necessary motivation to overcome stressors, in a healthy manner, so they can continue to perform their work (Wilkie, 2020).
Stress management programs need to be structured so that they can provide employees with clearly articulated goals and identify the limits of what they are being taught. Additionally, an effective program for stress management needs to include the surveying of employees so that organizational management can identify common stressors among employees, and maximum participation in the program should be encouraged and, if possible, rewarded. Finally, the program should continue outside of the learning environment and include work/life balance strategies that serve to reduce employee stress, such as offering employees flex time, work-at-home options, an extended lunch break, and child care programs for employees with children (Health Advocate, Inc., 2009).
Finally, according to Kim et al (2014), a comprehensive stress management program should begin with a facilitator workshop in which participants are asked to take part in a survey regarding workplace stress and go over a Mental Health Action Checklist (MACHL), which “evaluates workplace stress voluntarily and facilitates the improvement of the work environment”, and is used as a workplace stress assessment. After this, employees should be placed into teams and explained good workplace practices, and areas, where practices could be improved upon, as this will help employees to see how performing tasks in a certain manner, can reduce workplace stress; finally, short and long-term plans for identifying and combating stressors should be discussed and implemented so that employees can understand early when stress is taking a toll on them, and actions they can take to lessen the impacts of stress.
Tracking Employee Participation In Stress Management Programs
As with any program, the stress management program can only work if employees participate in it. Generally, people are resistant to change, so, having them do anything out of their normal work activities may serve as a stressor for some. Therefore, it is important to emphasize the importance of the stress management program and their participation in it. Leaders need to make it known that participation is mandatory, however, they also need to let employees know that participation is incentivized so they will be more inclined to take part in the training. It should be noted though, that the first step in encouraging maximum participation in the program, is to let employees know of its existence; this can be accomplished by putting up posters around the workplace, employee meetings, company newsletters, and emails to employees about the program and its significance.
Once the program has been “advertised”, management needs to ensure the employees know that attendance to, or completion of the program is mandatory, however, their participation is likely to see them being rewarded. Some common rewards could be gift cards to local businesses, extended lunch breaks, or even comp or flex time to employees who attend the training. Of course, it may not be feasible to reward all employees, therefore, they should be advised that the only way to be selected in a drawing for one of the rewards offered, is for them to be present, and signed in to the training on a standardized sign-in sheet so their name can be drawn and called for a prize; if the training is conducted online, their attendance can be tracked by their employee sign-in credentials, and notices of training completion can be sent to HR and employees’ managers once they successfully complete the training, and the employees can then be notified via email if they have been selected for a reward for completing the program.
Selecting a Vendor for Program Delivery
Training is only as good as those who deliver it. As such, a good stress management program must be one that is constructed and presented by experts in a particular field. The first step to selecting a suitable vendor for training delivery is to determine the needs of the organization; this includes determining how much can be spent on the training, how the training is to be delivered (i.e. in-person or online), how many employees need to be trained, how long the training should last, and any resources needed for the training (i.e. computers for online training). Secondly, vendors need to be assessed for their track record, their time in business, what projects they have successfully completed, the relevancy of the training materials they provide, and whether they provide any coaching for the use of any training materials they offer. After some potential vendors are selected, a demo of their training and training materials should be obtained; if a potential vendor does not want to provide any demos, then they should not be included in the “short list” of vendors because there should not be any unwanted or unnecessary surprises with the training once employees begin to participate in it. Once a short list of vendors has been created, organizational leadership, in conjunction with HR, needs to make a final selection on which vendor will provide and deliver the training (HR.com, 2001).
Training Delivery Method
Because all employees do not work the same schedules, it is not feasible to expect all employees to attend stress management training at the same time. This could lead to more stress on employees, which is counterproductive to the training being offered. As such, the stress management training should be delivered online, and employees must pass a final exam in the training, with a grade of 90% or better; this ensures that all employees will be able to take the training at a time and place that is convenient and comfortable for them, and the required 90% final test grade ensures that they understood what was being taught. e-Learning is convenient and offers on-demand availability, as well as a user-controlled training pace, which all serve to enhance online training delivery methods (Ibrahim et al, 2011). Additionally, e-Learning diminishes the need for a physical space, and associated costs (i.e. costs of lighting, associated travel costs to reach a physical location, etc.) of a physical space to conduct training. Finally, Sarwar et al (2016) state that there is a positive relationship between e-Learning advantages and e-Learning for stress management and that online delivery of a stress management program tends to be well-received by employees and effectively delivers necessary content.
Conclusion
The modern workplace is one characterized by change and advancements. This can lead to stress in many employees, and if it is not handled swiftly, correctly, and efficiently, stress will get out of control and lead to employee burnout, which leads to decreased productivity and high turnover. As such, it is imperative that organizations implement and utilize a stress management program to help employees identify and deal with stressors in the workplace, and in their lives, before stress becomes a problem that is too big for them to safely and effectively handle. Offering employees online stress management training is an effective way to ensure that they not only have easy access to the program but that they can also complete it in an environment that is comfortable and familiar to them, thus reducing any stressors that could be presented by having to attend training, in-person, in an uncomfortable setting.?
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