I wish I ran across more positive findings, but the remaining statistics from the survey are less than reassuring. “Lack of obvious or widespread signs is not a good reason to dismiss concerns about job stress or minimize the importance of a good prevention program,” says the report.Īccording to the “Attitudes in the American Workplace VII” survey, “The vast majority of American workers say they are stressed, more than a third say that their job is harming their physical or emotional well-being, 42 percent say job pressures are interfering with their family or personal lives, and half report more demanding workloads than they had a year ago.” But sometimes, there aren’t any obvious clues, especially when employees are afraid of losing their jobs. Some of the first signs of job stress include health and job complaints, low employee morale, and a high turnover rate. But research findings challenge this belief, showing that stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and intentions by workers to quit their jobs-all of which have a negative effect on the bottom line,” says the report. “Some employers assume that stressful working conditions are a necessary evil- that companies must turn up the pressure on workers and set aside health concerns to remain productive and profitable in today’s economy. The tactic can break down trust in the workplace.Īccording to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), “Numerous surveys and studies confirm that occupational pressures and fears are far and away the leading source of stress for American adults and that these have steadily increased over the past few decades.”Īpparently, the AIS isn’t alone in their findings the “Stress…At Work” report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) says the “nature of work is changing at whirlwind speed.” Now, more than ever before, job-related stress is posing a threat to the health of our nation’s workers, which in turn, directly affects the health of our organizations. “When companies use job security as a stick as opposed to a carrot, it backfires because lose their feeling of commitment,” says William Schiemann, CEO of Metrus Group, an organizational research firm in Somerville, New Jersey. Some employers intentionally create an insecure environment, mistakenly believing that placing additional demands and stressors on employees will increase performance. Not all employers, however, want employees to feel safe. “If not, they go into the cave emotionally, and all their energy goes into making sure they’re protected.” What happens when an employee doesn’t feel safeĪccording to Whitney Johnson, an executive life coach who specializes in C-suite leadership, psychological safety is knowing that “when you make a mistake, you’re not going to get killed dead.” If employees feel safe, they’re able to create and they’ll be much more productive because that’s where innovation comes from, she says. Why? Because every time we withhold, we’re robbing ourselves and our colleagues. By the time we all grow up to be working adults, this strategy becomes second nature, but it poses a problem in the workplace. No one, she says, wants to look ignorant, incompetent, intrusive, or negative.

In her TEDx Talk on the topic, Edmondson talks about people second-guessing themselves all the time in the modern workplace. The term “team psychological safety” was coined by Amy Edmondson of Harvard in 1999. “Without a commitment to supporting the personal growth of each of our employees, our progress would stagnate and our customers would suffer.” “Our success at Weave hinges on our employees’ ability to autonomously take charge and do what’s best in the name of our company, and feel confident sharing their insights,” says Rodman. “No one should feel like they’re going to be shut down or interrupted for offering their take on things.” “When people feel confident in themselves and safe in their surroundings, they’re primed to lean into creative problem solving and innovation,” says Rodman. Brandon Rodman, CEO and cofounder of Weave thinks his employees shouldn’t be afraid of getting fired.

Am i getting fired or just paranoid