Employee Wellness Programs: Focus on Stress Reduction
Advantages of Stress Reduction Programs
While stress cannot be eliminated from life, or even from the workplace, coping skills can be developed with relative ease. Stress
management skills lead to decreased absenteeism and more effective, more productive staff members. Because stress has been shown to
contribute to such physical conditions as ulcers, high blood pressure and stroke, stress reduction has a direct impact on improving
physical health.
Studies have shown that heart patients who attend stress management initiatives have 42 percent lower medical costs. Other research studies
have documented a 50 percent reduction in medical services use when stress management initiatives are employed. Further, Employee
Assistance Program (EAP) experts estimate that 20 percent of any workforce is affected by individual problems that can influence work
performance.
Stress reduction tactics to consider:
• Provide on-site yoga or meditation classes.
• Organize support groups among staff members.
• Sponsor stress management classes during the workday.
• Provide an employee assistance program that includes both counseling and referral.
• Provide on-site counseling for staff members in the case of a work-related trauma, such as the death of a co-worker.