| FROM: MAY-JUN 2009 ISSUE | |
BY ANTHONY ARIGANELLO, CPA (DELAWARE), FCGA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CGA-CANADA |
Feeling stressed these days? You’re hardly alone. A report commissioned by Health Canada on work-life conflict found that more than half of the 31,000 people surveyed reported high levels of stress. One in three suffered high levels of burnout and nearly 20 per cent rated their physical health as just fair-to-poor.
It’s no surprise that employees who are anxious and overloaded aren’t nearly as productive as those in good mental health. Stress, depression, and burnout are linked to increased absenteeism, and greater use of prescription medications and employee assistance programs. And chances are, the higher the level of stress within an organization, the lower the level of creativity and innovation which – you guessed it – has a negative impact on its bottom line and ability to compete.
The good news is that we can do something to reduce workplace strain – and reap the associated benefits. By “we” I mean both employers and employees. If higher productivity, a more enjoyable work environment, and happier staff aren’t enough motivation, just think about the cost savings. Work-related stress costs Canadian taxpayers an estimated $2.8 billion annually in physician visits, hospital stays, and emergency room visits. Additionally, 11 per cent of those surveyed say they use drugs as a coping mechanism, with anti-depressant and tranquillizer use on the rise.
The report, available on Health Canada’s website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/occup-travail/balancing-equilibre/index-eng.php, examines the problem and offers a raft of recommendations. Among them: Employers need to provide employees with a greater sense of control over their hours of work and work schedule. Having work-life policies and programs are not sufficient, it notes. True flexibility requires supportive managers. Employees, meanwhile, need to stop believing they should tough it out and learn how to better prioritize, delegate, and set boundaries between their work and home lives.
I realize that a lot of this sounds easier said than done. But I believe that it’s not only possible to make progress on the issue, we must. Through increased awareness and commitment, we can improve our personal wellbeing and the health of our organizations, first with small changes, then larger ones.
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