Organizational Approaches to Stress Management

Employees that are experiencing negative stress will likely disrupt the company
by affecting the company’s productivity. There are several approaches that an
organization can apply to combat job stress. First is giving employees emotional support
from the immediate supervisor. A study shows that employees who felt the support from
their manager will only suffer half of the illness from heavy stress as those who believe
they lack such support. Keeping the communication channels open and providing help
to the employees through verbal encouragement and time off are some supportive
behaviors that will help employees feel efficacious.

Wellness Program – Another approach in stress management is a wellness

program in the workplace that promotes health fitness activities to support healthy
behavior in the company. The activities in the wellness program include medical
examinations, stress-management techniques, smoking-cessation programs, and
preventive health care. When done correctly, a wellness program can give employees
benefits such as social support, incentives, and strategies to cope up and manage
stress. Although there are doubts about the effectiveness of wellness programs due to
problems in payoffs and some individuals who are not highly motivated to stay well,
wellness programs are still one of the effective approaches to stress management.

Napping – Giving employees time to take a nap is also an effective method in

managing stress in the workplace. Taking a 15 to 20 minutes nap is said to alleviate job
stress, restore alertness and memory, and decrease the effects of fatigue.

Walking Meetings – The walking meeting is a novel approach by the company to

manage stress. The purpose of this activity is to change the scenery that employees
always see and let them do some physical exercise. With this activity, employees can
unwind and relax for a while outside the company building.