Stressed-out parents may have children with behavioral impairments

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In a mouse model, researchers at the University of Haifa found that anxious mothers may have offspring that exhibit anti-social behavior.

However, they also discovered that stress-relieving interventions for the parents were effective in reversing this effect to some extent.

“As our study shows that the inheritance of the effects of adversity can be modified by timely intervention, this may have important educational and therapeutic implications,” said lead author Micah Leshem.

Since working mothers are by no means uncommon in today’s workplace, the findings have some relevance to workplace stress and preventing social problems in future generations.

Airline employees may be in need of stress reduction

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A column in the Seattle Times speculated on why flight attendants are becoming an increasingly hostile group of workers, in light of a new report that placed airline companies among the top worst performers due to poor customer service.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction index, airlines make up half of the top 10 worst-performing companies in the nation, reflecting less-than-stellar employee performance, wrote Christopher Elliott.

However, the fault may not lie completely on their shoulders.

“Flight attendants are under a great deal of stress because of increased security threats, continually changing federal regulations, bankruptcies, furloughs, salary cuts and loss of pensions and benefits,” Elliott noted.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee wrote a report about rudeness on the job. The authors said that hostility is often the result of intense workplace stress. Conversely, a well-performing staff likely stems from organization policies that ensure employee wellness.

Employee wellness programs that offer tools and resources for stress management have been shown to improve a company’s employee performance as well as reduce workplace stress.

Wisconsin may be next to offer high-deductible health insurance

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Wisconsin may join over 20 other states in offering a high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP) with linked health savings accounts (HSA) to its employees, Human Resource Executive Online reports. According to the source, these states are looking at HDHPs as a way to reduce costs and trim tight budgets.

The Wisconsin secretary of employee trust funds and the director of state employment relations are currently studying the possibilities of a HDHP, partly to determine whether it would comply with federal health care law requirements.

“Most public employees have the richest benefits of anybody, so states have got to communicate the benefits of choosing HSAs to get employees to go from a zero deductible to a $1,200 deductible,” Helen Darling, president and CEO of the National Business Group on Health told the news source. She indicated that HSA’s allow the insured more control over spending as well as the chance to accumulate money in the account.

These options may allow the government to reduce costs while still providing employees with needed coverage. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health notes that financial and health concerns or the lack of health care may increase the risk of workplace stress negatively affecting employee performance. Research indicates that job stress can contribute to poor health over time.

Study reveals significant health benefits of employee wellness programs

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Using research involving more than 1,400 workers who participated in employee wellness programs, scientists at Henry Ford Hospital (HFH) in Detroit found that the interventions were successful in alleviating a host of stress-related conditions.

Authors of the study noted that chronic neck, back and head pain – often linked to anxiety – is estimated to cost U.S. employers $61 billion annually due to poor productivity.

The researchers began following the workers in 2007. Since then, the scientists observed that the wellness initiatives resulted in an improvement in chronic pain for 76 percent of the study group and a complete elimination of such discomforts for 39 percent of the individuals.

“Chronic pain and stress are intricately related and the importance of stress as a causal and/or aggravating factor in most chronic illnesses cannot be underestimated,” says Alba Rodriguez, Ph.D., of HFH. “These group programs have proven to be more effective than other approaches, and are more efficient and less expensive than most one-on-one care, whether conventional or alternative.”

Additional findings included a 74 percent reduction in workplace stress, a 50 percent alleviation in stress-related illnesses, such as high blood pressure and gastrointestinal conditions. Moreover, 70 percent of the employees reported that they were able to eliminate their use of pain medications.

Increased job market confidence means employees may be more prepared to quit

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Despite the unemployment rate holding near 9 percent for over 2 years, American employees are demonstrating increased confidence in their ability to find new jobs, as nearly 2 million left their positions in May, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

“When the economy is rebounding, workers are more likely to quit their jobs to take another,” Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James & Associates, told the news source. He indicated that the willingness to seek new work is a sign that employees are more confident the overall economy as well as the job market.

While Brown told Businessweek that consumer confidence and employee departures had not fully recovered to pre-recession levels, he also noted that employees’ frustration with their work tends to grow as the economy improves.

Brown also noted that employees may take cues from their colleagues, leading to further job switching. The May rate of quits is significantly higher than the most recent low, which was 1.5 million in January of 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Quitting due to frustration may be a sign of stress or dissatisfaction in current jobs as well as confidence in alternate job prospects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that many companies run corporate wellness programs to decrease employee stress and reduce health benefit costs, which some research indicates may improve employee performance.

Low salaries may be inducing workplace stress

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More than heavy workloads, long hours and a lack of opportunity for advancement, low salaries are causing anxiety in U.S. workers, according to an American Psychological Association (APA) survey.

The research revealed that about half of the surveyed employees named their wages as the number one cause of their workplace stress, while 43 percent cited a dismal forecast for opportunities and overwhelming responsibilities as reasons why they feel tension at work.

Additionally, a total of 40 percent of respondents said that their employers have unrealistic expectations of their work capacity and 39 percent said that long workdays are a big source of stress.

Experts at the APA said that employers should address these issues and focus on employee wellness if they want to boast a thriving business.

“Creating a psychologically healthy workplace is good for employees and business results,” said Norman Anderson, Ph.D., CEO of the APA.. “This is a growing trend and it is our hope that all organizations will eventually have some type of psychologically healthy workplace program.”

Results of the survey suggest that many organizations may be in need of employee wellness programs that help workers manage their stress and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Manager commitment to workplace stress reduction programs is key to successful initiatives

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The UK-based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) recently released a report evaluating several programs aimed at reducing workplace stress. The findings concluded that management personnel had to work toward the right levels of involvement to successfully reduce job-related stress.

Specifically, the CIPD concluded that managers at various levels needed to understand, agree with and support the aims of a stress intervention program in order to serve as effective role models and convince employees of the project’s value.

In order to secure that kind of managerial involvement and commitment, the report concluded that selecting and effectively communicating a stress-reduction program’s message to both managers and employees is necessary.

The report notes that organizations may need to select tools to fit their particular culture, for example using statistics to underscore the need for a stress management program or naming it in a way that is consistent with the organization’s past programs.

To establish your own corporate wellness initiative, consider HeartMath’s Revitalize You! e-learning program, which may help employees learn techniques to reduce stress. It also makes a number of tools available.

Employees can benefit from the emWave2 handheld interactive device, which gives immediate feedback, allowing users to align their breathing and heart rhythms and reducing the negative effects of stress.

A positive work experience may encourage young workers

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College graduates who are entering the workforce at a time when jobs are hard to find and wages tend to be low – especially for entry-level staff – may become easily stressed out or disengaged if organizations don’t make special efforts.

Since today’s young people are tomorrow’s CEOs, companies may want to consider building structured work environment, a supportive staff and a constructive way to give feedback in order to create strong workers, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

“Getting hands-on work experience in a business can really improve young people’s confidence, employability and prospects in the jobs market,” said the UK’s employment minister, Chris Grayling, quoted by CIPD.

It seems intuitive that a staff that has been with a company for a long period of time may be more loyal than that of a workplace with high turnover. This suggests that getting young workers excited about their jobs early on may lead to strong employee performance and low workplace stress.

Employee wellness programs that help young people deal with stress may be an integral part of helping them get more accustomed to the workplace.

Intense workplace stress comes with warning signs

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A big part of reducing workplace stress levels is helping employees recognize the signs of overwhelming anxiety so they can take proactive measures to reduce or prevent the negative effects of workplace stress.

Nonprofit organization HelpGuilde.org reports that employees who experience chronic tension may be less productive than their calmer counterparts, and that stress can lead to mental and physical disorders.

Some of the more obvious signs of intense workplace stress include irritability, depression, apathy and loss of interest, according to the source. Additionally, workers may begin to feel fatigued during the day and sleepless at night.

Stress can manifest itself physically in the form of muscle tension, headaches, gastrointestinal problems and loss of sex drive, the nonprofit reports.

The American Psychological Association recommends that individuals take the warning signs of stress seriously. Recognizing the symptoms of intense stress can help people take proactive measures to manage their anxiety in a healthy way, possibly leading to better overall health.

Employee wellness programs that provide tools and resources for stress management may help workers become more cognizant of their mental state, which may, in turn, improve employee performance and lead to a healthier staff.

Marketing and advertising industry stresses UK employees

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A recent study by Sovereign Health Care revealed that 90 percent of British workers in the marketing and advertising business were unwell due to workplace stress, The Drum reports.

“The message from the research is clear. Organizations need to review their softer benefits and provide more health and wellbeing support,” said Sovereign Health Care chief executive Russ Piper, quoted by the news source. “This will help counteract the increased pressure of the workplace and could result in more productive, higher motivated and happier employees.”

The employees’ largest concerns were limited personal progress and uncertainty about the future of the business. A total of 88 percent of employees surveyed across all industries thought their employers should provide more health and wellness support.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of all large companies in the United States have some kind of employee wellness program. Stress management training, employee assistance programs and similar measures may reduce sleep disturbances, anxiety and other stress symptoms.

Clearly defining a worker’s role and responsibilities while ensuring that the workload matches their capabilities and resources can reduce stress. Workers who can participate in decisions that impact their jobs may find work less stressful and be more engaged, according to the CDC.