Managing workplace stress the cornerstone of wellness

CALGARY, November 3, 2007 /Troy Media Corporation/ Creating and maintaining a healthy work environment is just as important as promoting individual health, participants at a recent Calgary Economic Development (CED) employee wellness forum were told. The more stress employees feel, the less productive they become.

“Stress is increasing,” said keynote speaker and stress management expert, Dr. David Posen, “and employers are a big part of the problem.”

While a certain amount of “good” stress is necessary to avoid boredom and apathy, Dr. Posen said too much leads to anxiety and frustration. “Bad” stress leads ultimately to physical and mental breakdown.

The forum, called Apples to Zen, was the third Building Calgary’s Talent forum to be held in Calgary this year under CED’s workforce initiative program, CalgaryWorks. Employers were invited to share ideas and best practices that motivate and invigorate employees and create better workplaces and communities.

The forum’s first keynote speaker, Dr. Graham Lowe, told the forum that the drivers to organization’s health and productivity are its own culture, systems and processes.

Citing a recent national worker survey, Dr. Lowe highlighted what characteristics workers find most important about their jobs, with respectful treatment, work-life balance, and a healthy, safe environment featuring prominently. Pay did not figure into the top six.

Where is the extra stress coming from? Apples to Zen participant and retired doctor Owen Gingrich points the finger at communication technology which, he notes dryly, was supposed to make life easier.

“What I like to call “BlackBerry at the beach” is a new phenomenon,” said Dr. Gingrich, who has given presentations on the negative effects of increased stress on behalf of the Mayo Clinic and Victorian Order of Nurses.

“Forget about going home for the day; your average worker now cannot escape the office on vacation,” said Dr. Gingrich. “You can imagine what that does to life at home.”

Time away from work is a necessary part of reducing stress, Dr. Posen told the conference. Breaks, leisure and significant vacations are the only way to recover from work-related stress.

Time away from work is well and good, but how can employers help reduce “bad” stress in the office? Ryan Gill, CEO of Suitcase Interactive, said employees know best what their needs are, and finding out can be as simple as “sitting down and talking with them.”

For the initiatives to be successful, he said, “it’s important that (they) aren’t just thrown out there. Find out what they need.”

Gill was part of a panel of four representatives from four companies which have implemented successful health and wellness programs. The companies – Suitcase, ENMAX, Trico Homes and the Calgary Health Region - range in size from 100 to 27,000 employees.

Elsbeth Mehrer, Manager, Workforce Development for CED, said, that each of these companies are “all leaders in employee wellness.” Each were responsive to and implemented programs that met their employees needs.

For example, ENMAX introduced fitness and nutritional programs, including on-site fitness centres and massage therapy. Its programs were recognized with the 2006 Calgary Chamber of Commerce HEALTH Gold award.

But Janice Strelow, ENMAX’ Wellness Coordinator, said employees were more worried recently about affordable, convenient child care than anything else.

“I couldn’t believe some of the stories I heard,” said Strelow. “With one couple, the husband worked during the day while his wife cared for their baby, and then switched off as she left for her evening shift. They never saw each other. Another couple sent their child to be raised by family in China, (because) they simply couldn’t find a child-care solution in Calgary they were comfortable with.”

As Dr. Lowe told the forum, employees trust managers who are genuinely concerned about their well-being, and who listen and respond to their input.

ENMAX heard that many of their employee’s home lives were suffering for want of child care, and decided to do something about it. Its solution was Bright Lights, an onsite care centre for children from infant to preschool age. The facility opened in September, and is operated by YWCA of Calgary. Strelow said ENMAX considers its and other programs cost of operating as part of their overall recruitment and retention Strategy.

“It’s an investment that absolutely pays off,” said Strelow, citing among other things, an increase of stay-at-work outcomes for ENMAX employees. Parents know their children are well looked after and are “just down the hall.”

Spending money on prevention rather than reaction, said Strelow, is an improved cost allocation. But whether its onsite child care or a less ambitious program such as free parking, Strelow said wellness programs make for less stressed employees.

Richard Gotfried, with Trico Homes, however, warned that consulting your employees and not following through leads no where. Even the best intentions, he said, are useless without support from above. “The first and most significant barrier is buy-in from leadership,” he said, “if it’s just for optics, it’s not going to work.”

He added that smart managers recognize the return on investment from a good and proactive wellness program. “While (management) obviously wants us to be selective with our policies,” he said, “if something can impact a high percentage of our people in a positive way, they’re all for it.”

The company must be doing something right. Canadian Business Magazine named Trico Homes one of the Best Workplaces in Canada, despite the fact the 100 employee company does not have a dedicated human resources department .

Linda Powell, Director of Governance and External Affairs with Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) who attended the forum, said there is a need for further wellness forums such as Apples to Zen.

“It’s encouraging to see demonstrated successes in other organizations,” Powell said between sessions. “It shows that if the philosophy (of promoting wellness) is in place, it makes recruiting easier, and makes for a better workplace for all of us.”

Keywords: Calgary Economic Development, Apples to Zen, David Posen, CalgaryWorks, Richard Gotfried, Trico Homes, Linda Powell, Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society, STARS, Graham Lowe, Elsbeth Mehrer, ENMAX

News Beats: Human Resource