INTRODUCTION

Indian banking industry is the backbone of the countrys economy, has always played a
key role in prevention the economic cataclysm. Stress is derived from the Latin word
stringere. The nature of job of banking employees is very tire some as it involves long
working hours inappropriate reward system ,and lack of job autonomy and role conflict.
Stress management is getting more and more consideration nowadays, particularly in the
financial sectors. Everyone in their work is exposed to tension and anxiety as they get
through the duties.

During the past decade, banking sector had undergone rapid and stinking changes like
policy changes due to globalization and liberalization increased competition due to entrance
of more private corporate sector bank, downsizing, introduction of new technologies etc.,
due to those changes the employees in the banking are experiencing high level of stress.
The important factors that may leads to stress are the design of task, management style,
interpersonal relationship, workload, career concerns and environment condition, the main
reason for conducting this research is to find stress and to identify all common factors
which may leads to employees work stress

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 This project report is research about the study on occupational stress in Federal
bank employees. Bank and bank employees are playing a very important role for
developing the Indian economy. Bank employees are considered to be very important
human resource, where bank serve better to society and nation. It is generally believed
by the common man that employees of banks may not experience stress in their job
when compared to other occupation it is not so.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Occupational stress is the stress faced by the employees in their work. This study
will help the managers to understand their workforce. This study is also useful to direct
to management to formulate strategies and process keeping in view the causes and
consequences of stress in order to cope with the stress successfully. This study will help
to bank know what causes stress and how to reduce the same in employees, since it is
well known fact that a healthy and productive employees.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study attempt to analyse the level of occupational stress of Federal bank
employees in Ernakulum district. The present study takes a close look at the stress
related issues facing the employees working different Federal bank branches such as
perumbavoor,kothamangalam,nedumdassery,keezhillum,kuruppampady.The scope of the
study is limited to Federal bank branches.

OBJECTIVES
To analyses the causes of occupational stress among bank employees.
To identify the socio-economic factors influencing the stress of bank
employees.
To identify which level of employees feel more stress.
To compare the level of stress faced by male and female employees.
To give valuable suggestion to reduce occupational stress.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Sample size
In this study, selected sample represents the whole population. This research covers
the employees in Federal banks. In this study a total of 50 employees in the Federal
bank have been taken into consideration and their response were obtained through
questionnaire.

Sample technique
Sample means a small group taken in large lot. This small group taken should be
emanative cross section and really representative in character .Convenience sampling
method is used to this study.

Sources of data
Primary data

The primary data have been collected by using a structed questionnaire from
managers, branch managers, clerk, and officers identified randomly from the selected
Federal bank in Ernakulum district for the study.

Secondary data

Secondary data have been collected from published and unpublished records of
bank office, branches of banks, articles research journals, website etc. also referred for
collection of data.

REVIEW OF LETERACHURE
Zafar et al (2015) opine that stress can be positive (Eustress) or negative
(Distress). According to them Eustress results can be stimulating that enhances work
performance and positively encourages workers to make efforts while Distress results
in negative effects over workers health and performance.

Stress is not always negative or harmful and indeed, the absence of stress is
death (Arbabisarjou, et al., 2013).

Sharma, et al. (2010) opine that people in human service profession, such as
banking, are often required to spend considerable time in intense involvement with
other people and when customers problems are not solved immediately, the situation
may become more ambiguous and frustrating.

An empirical study of the existence of stress in the Nigerian Banking Industry

by Akingunola and Adigun (2010) confirms the existence of stressors in the Nigerian
banking sub-sector with higher level of stress found among the executive than the
none-executive. The issue of job stress among Nigerian bank workers could be better
addressed if the factors responsible for such stress were properly identified and
evaluated. The question of how job stress affects workers performance is a relevant
one given the nature of todays banking environment and the challenges faced by
Nigerian workers.

Lisa (2010) Job stressors refer to any attribute of the workplace that poses a
danger to the individual, whether due to job demands that a person cannot meet or due
to a lack of sufficient resources to do the job. For job stress to occur, the
environmental demand of the job is usually much out of balance with the ability of the
employee. This occurs when an individual has little control over the job, when work
demands go beyond his or her abilities or when job circumstances prevent the
accomplishment of personal expectations and goals. Stress is additive. Therefore, a
raise in the number of stressors in the work situation results in an increase in overall
job stress level.

(Larsonet al)Stress is an unnecessary reaction people have to relentless

pressures or other types of demands placed upon them. A urge and multi fields
literature points a lot of key factors such as work environment, management support,
workload etc. in determining the stressful the work can be and its effect on employee
physical and mental health all life events, even positive ones, cause a certain degree of
stress( Eustress and positive effects of stress, 2010).
 Human beings are not able to create a balance between their personal and
professional life and this sort of situation has led to stressful conditions among them.
The only center of their life is to be successful (in-fact to be at the top) in spite of
giving attention to their personal and family life. This is the reason the social values
have been badly ignored now a days. Amy Twain (2010) clarified that there may be
various real life situations in our lives that cause stress in our lives. Some personal
factors may be continuous working for long hours; working under pressure,
sometimes-inappropriate marriages cause problems or improper relation with others.
Health problems are also caused by stress.

There may be different effects of stress. Stress can be both positive and
negative. It depends on the individual that how do he/she react to the situation. The
positive stress can help you to energize in order to get your goals on time. Stress can
be beneficial to you if you do not take it on your nerves. (Jeff foster, 2010)The
negative outcomes of stress have been recognized as financially costly. Negative
outcomes of job stress among individuals include illness, decline in overall quality of
work, job dissatisfaction, bunking off, and staff turnover (Schwab).

The advent of technological changes has changed the working style of the bank
employees. Globalization and privatization has led the banking sector to modify
their policies in order to cope with the environment. (Jeff foster, 2010)Many people
working in banking and finance sector believe that stress is a powerful instrument for
their work and over and over again take steps to control it when they feel the effects of
overload stress. At place of work stress is the harmful physical and emotional reaction
that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities,
resources, or needs of the worker. (Larsonet al)The banking sector has improved a lot
with the changing environment. The working conditions of banks have changed a lot
due to privatization, globalization and atomization. The workload of employees has
greater than before and due to this increased work pressure the employees feel
themselves under job-stress. (Michailidis M,Georgiou Y).

Employees show too many stress factors. Those who have been coping
deficiencies rather than coping skills become distressed. Distress persons lead to
social and financial costs-accidents, injuries, turnover and poor productivity. (Jeff
foster, 2010)In the article Occupational Stress in Social Work (Faith Gibson et al )
the effects of stress is showing in all the professional lives like social workers, nurses
and teachers. Stressors can be identified in both professional and private lives.

Pal, S; and Saksvik, P(2009) in their article titled work family conflict and
psychosocial work environment stressors as predictors of job stress in a cross-cultural
study conducted a study on job stress on 27Norwegian doctors and 328 nurses and
111 Indian doctors and 136 nurses. The result was that work family conflict was not
predictive of job stress in 27Norwegian doctors, but work-family conflict, high job
demands law flexibility in working hours predict job stress in Norwegian nurses. For
the Indian sample, job stress was predicted buy high family work conflict and law
social support in nurses and law job control I doctors. Hence, it seems to be
overlapping and some difference in cultures when considering the role of demand,
control, support and flexibility in prediction on strain.

Richardson, K.M., and Rothsetin,(2008) in their article titled Effects of

occupational stress management intervention programs they provided an empirical
review of stress management interventions, employing meta-analysis procedures. The
results also revealed that relaxation interventions were the most frequent type of
intervention. Further, there were a few stress interventions focused on the
organizational level. More specific results also indicated that cognitive- behavioral
interventions produced larger effects than other types of interventions.

Sang ,Katherine J.C,Dainty, Andrew R.j, Ison, Stephen G(2007) in a risk factor
for occupational stress in employees jointly aimed to bank differences in
occupational health and wellbeing. In this study, the female despondence reported
significantly lower overall job satisfaction and due to it significantly higher levels of
insomnia and constipation, work-life conflict and turnover intentions.

According to Jungwee (2007), there is no single cause of job stress. While

stress can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it is often the result of a
combination of stressful factors which accumulate over time. Some people can
become so used to the symptoms of excessive stress that it goes unnoticed to their
detriment. Most job stress is related to management of work, relationships at work,
organizational setup and whether you feel you have power and control in your work.
The experience of stress is different for every person.
 Major causes of job stress have been identified as task demand, role demand
and organizational structure (M.A Khan et al), (2007).

In the study on Emotional stress and coping profiles of IFS officers an

empirical analysis is a research work by Parul Rishi, Bal Karishna Upadhyay and
Arpit Solanky (2004) among 34 forest officers from Bhopal and surrounding areas in
Madhya Pradesh. Data were collected through personal visits to the residences of
different officers during their free time. The results suggested that there was a positive
and significant relationship between stresses, avoidance strategies, and Type A
personality. Forest officers having Type A personality experienced more role stress
and used more avoidance based strategies to cope with it.Oveall, 23.5% of the sample
was found to be experiencing high stress and inefficient coping.

Vijayalaxmi, A.Aminabhavar and shanmukh, V.Kamble (2004) conducted a

study titled A study of work motivation and stress coping behavior of technical
personnel at a Railway workshop with a sample of 30 technical
personnel(engineers)working in the Railway carriage repair workshop bat Hubli,
Karnataka state. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between work
motivation and stress coping behavior of the sample respondents.

Lisa (2004) makes the point that while a certain amount of stress is needed to
motivate individuals into action, prolonged stress can have a huge impact on overall
health. At work place stress is becoming a major anxiety for employers, managers and
government agencies, owing to the Occupational Health and Safety legislations
requiring employers to practice duty of care by providing employees with safe
working environments which also cover the psychological wellbeing of their staff.

Fever, Mark Le; Matheny, Jonathan, Gregory S. (2003) in their article titled,
Eustress, distress, and interpretation in occupational stress, (2003) discussed the
meaning assigned to the work stress that has shifted from Selyes original formulation,
and that this shift, in conjunction with the use of the Yerkes Dodson Law, leads to
inappropriate management of stress in bank.The result revealed that some stress is
good. Performance should be rejected in favour of more useful and accurate concepts.

Nikolaou,Ioannis;Tsaousis(2002) in their Research article titled, Emotional

Intelligence In The Workplace: Exploring Its Effects On Occupational Stress And
employees Commitment, Found their results in the expected direction, showing a
negative correlation between emotional intelligence and stress at work, indicatind that
high scorers in overall emotional intelligence suffered less stress related to
occupational environment. A positive correlation was also found between emotional
intelligence and organizational commitment.

Robbins (2001) defines stress as a situation in which an individual feel

opportunity, constraint or demand to what an individual desire and the result can be
both uncertain and important. Stress ruins the strength of the individual and ultimately
their ability to compete suffers. Human strength is the most important blessing of the
Almighty. So it's very important to maintain it.

Yandric, R.M (2000) has examined the coping techniques in his work, Getting
by with a little help from friends. According to him, many employees were reluctant
to receive help for their behavioral problems. The researcher stated that one way in
which employers were addressing such problem behaviors was through the peer to
peer assistance.

The study on counseling: a primary stress intervention made by Hill C (2000)

suggests that the function of workplace counseling within the organizational culture is
helpful in reducing the stress.

Beehr, Jex, Stacy & Murray, 2000) found the relationship between occupational
stressors and the performance of employees of an organization and how it affects the
employees psychologically.

According to the study on Managing the pressure conducted by Harrington

(2000)the approach to managing the pressure included learn and share exercise, as
well as the early location of individual stress through its human resource practices.

The findings of the study conducted by Wah, L. (2000) on The emotion

tightrope indicated programmes to reduce employees stress to include sabbaticals,
appointing toxic healers, or emotional healers to shoulder the burdens of intra
organizational emotional stress.

HISTORY OF FEDERAL BANK

 The Federal Bank Limited is a major Indian commercial bank in the
private sector, headquartered at Aluva, Kochi, Kerala. As on 31 March 2016, Federal
Bank has 1252 branches spread across 24 states and 1516 ATMs across the country.
Its balance-sheet stood at Rs 1.37 trillion as of end March 2016 and its net profit
stood at Rs 475 crore for the full fiscal year.

The history of Federal Bank dates back to the pre-independence era. The
Bank was incorporated on April 23, 1931 as the Travancore Federal Bank Limited,
Nedumpuram under the Travancore Companies Regulation Act, 1916. In 1931,
Travancore Federal Bank began operations at Pattamukkil Varattisseril house near
Nedumpuram, near Thiruvalla, Kerala.

The home functioned as the bank office for nearly 15 years. The 14
founders included Pattamukkil Varattisseril Oommen Varghese, his brothers Oommen
Chacko, Oommen Kurian, and Oommen George, and Kavumbhagam Mundapallil
Lukose. Oommen Varghese was the chairman and Oommen Chacko was the
manager. After the bank had functioned for nearly 10 years, the bank's day-to-day
operations had to be stopped due to Oommen Chacko's ill-health.Travancore Federal
Bank Limited was incorporated with an authorised capital of rupees five thousand at
Pattamukkil Varattisseril house at Nedumpuram, a place near Thiruvalla in Central
Travancore on 28/4/1931 under the Travancore Company's Act. It started business of
auction-chitty and other banking transactions connected with agriculture and
industry.A lawyer from Perumbavoor named K.P.Hormis, and his acquaintances,
bought the bank and took over the management on 1945.In 1945 they moved the
bank's registered office to Aluva and Hormis became the Managing Director. In 1947,
the bank's name was shortened from Travancore Federal Bank to Federal Bank.

Between 1963 and 1970, Federal Bank took over Chalakudy Public Bank
(est. 20 July 1929 in Chalakudy), Cochin Union Bank (est. 1963) in Trichur,
Alleppey Bank (est 1964; Alappuzha), St. George Union Bank (est. 1965) in
Puthenpally, and Marthandam Commercial Bank (est. 1968) in Thiruvananthapuram.
In 1970, Federal Bank became a scheduled commercial bank and came out with its
initial public offering in 1994.In January 2008, Federal Bank opened its first overseas
representative office in Abu Dhabi.In April 2015, and Federal Bank posted its highest
ever net profit at Rs 1005.75 crore for the fiscal 2014-15. The net profit grew 20%
during the year which saw the deposits and advances of the bank outgrow that of the
industry by 40%.

Products & Services

Personal Banking The bank provides a wide range of banking products and
services such as saving accounts, deposits, personal loans, ATM services, telebanking
services, RTGS, insurance, etc.

NRI Banking The bank offers a wide range of NRI services through all its
branches. NonResident Indians (NRI) can open NonResident External (NRE),
Non Resident Ordinary (NRO) accounts in Indian Rupee. You can also have Foreign
Currency Non Resident (FCNR) accounts in six foreign currencies approved by
Reserve Bank of India (US Dollar, British Pound, Euro, Japanese Yen, Canadian
Dollar and Australian Dollar). Returning NRIs can open Resident Foreign Currency
(RFC) account with any of their branches.

SMEBusiness Banking The bank offers a parameterized loan and various current
account products tailormade for each sector under SME. Competitive pricing,
relaxation in collateral security, collateral free loans with CGTMSE cover,
customization in various current account products, cash management services, internet
bill payment facility etc are some of the features of their products which makes them a
real friend of entrepreneurs.

Corporate Banking The bank offers customized structured products to meet the
specialized requirements of corporates, institutions and business clients. Each member
of their Corporate Finance team brings with him a wealth of transaction experience
across transaction varieties and sectors to cater to you better. The bank has emerged
as one of the leading private sector banks in the country, in providing a gamut of
products for industry, trade and infrastructure sectors. The bank serves a wide range
of customers across varying industries, segments and regions.

Digital Banking

In August 2013, Federal Bank introduced Fed Book, the first electronic passbook
launched by any bank in India. Fed Book is a mobile app through which customers
can view their passbook details. In May 2015, Federal Bank and SBI Card launched
Federal Bank-SBI two co-branded Visa credit cards, namely Platinum and Gold N
More. The Federal Bank SBI Platinum Credit Card will offer distinct and exclusive
benefits to customers, especially for fuel payments, dining etc. The platinum variant
will offer a credit limit up to Rs.5 lakh and the gold variant up to Rs.1.75 lakh. The
platinum variant of Federal Bank-SBI Credit Card offers reward points for every use
at dining, departmental and international stores. International airport lounge access
and golf course access are the other attractive options for it.

In July 2015, Federal Bank introduced automated chat facility, a first of its kind by an
Indian bank. Customer wanting to check the banks products and services can now
visit its website and chat with its Virtual Relationship Officer/Agent. This service is
fast, efficient and available around the clock. The service is powered by CogniCor,
whose virtual agent solution works on artificial intelligence-based technology. The
virtual agent generates personalized responses to customer queries.

In August 2015, creating history, Federal Bank launched Indias first Mobile App for
Bank Account Opening. Bank has introduced this unique facility of Mobile based
Bank Account Opening as an upgrade to FedBook, its e-Passbook App. With the new
avatar of FedBook, anyone having an Aadhaar Card and PAN Card, be it from rural or
urban centers, rich or poor, youth or aged, can now open a Savings Bank Account and
get their Account Number instantly using a mobile from anywhere at any time.
Further, the account can also be funded with an initial remittance through online fund
transfer up to a maximum amount of Rs. 10000. To open an account, one has to just
download Fed Book in their Mobile and follow 3 easy steps- that of taking a selfie,
scanning Aadhaar and PAN Card.The App verifies the Aadhaar real time and opens
the account on the click of a button. Once the account is opened, the App turns itself
into the digital passbook for the customer. The App is currently available on Android
and iOS phones and will soon be available in Windows and Blackberry phones.

Awards

Federal Bank won the MasterCard Innovation Awards 2016 under the
categories Debit Cards Initiatives' and Acquiring Business Initiatives'.
 Federal Bank received the prestigious 6th Annual Greentech HR Award for
"Technology Excellence in HR".

Federal Bank gets ET Best Corporate Brand 2016 Award

Federal Bank bags IDRBT Award for Digital Banking, Analytics and Big Data
in mid-sized Banks Segment

Federal Bank wins the Skoch Smart Technology Award 2015 for Fed Book
Selfie

Type : private

Traded as NSE : FEDERALBNK

BSE : 500469
LSE : FEDS Industry Banking and allied industries Founded Kochi

Area served : Republic of India

Key people : Shyam Srinivasan (Managing Director & CEO), Nilesh Shivji
Vikamsey (Part Time Chairman) .

Products : Loans, Savings Accounts, Current Accounts, Credit Cards, Debit Cards,
Payment Gateway etc. Revenue 77.4 billion (US$1.2 billion) (2016). Website
www.federalbank.co.in.

Management Personnel
Managing Director & CEO : Mr. Shyam Srinivasan

Executive Director : Mr. Ashutosh Khajuria

Executive Director : Mr. Ganesh Sankaran

Chief Operating Officer : Ms. Shalini Warrier

Chief Credit Officer : Mr. Sumit Kakkar

Company Secretary : Mr. Girish Kumar Ganapathy

Current Board of Directors

 Mr. Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey - Part Time Chairman

Mr. Shyam Srinivasan - Managing Director & CEO

Mr. Sudhir Moreshwar Joshi - Director

Mr. C Balagopal - Director

Mr. K. M. Chandrasekhar - Director

Mr. Dilip Gena Sadarangani - Director

Mr. Harish H Engineer - Director

Smt. Grace Elizabeth Koshie - Director

Smt. Shubhalakshmi Panse - Director

Mr. Ashutosh Khajuria - Executive Director

Mr. Ganesh Sankaran - Executive Director

THEORITICAL FRAME WORK

According to World Health Organization (WHO) occupational or work related
stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and
pressures that are not matched to their ability to cope.

Work place stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs
when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources need
of the workers. Job related stress is associated with individual, interpersonal and
structural variables. The resence of supportive peer groups and supportive relationship
with supervisors are negatively correlated with role conflict.

Occupational stress is often developed when an individual is assigned a major

responsibility without proper authority and delegation of power. The responsibility
load creates several stresses among workers and may lead to several physical and
psychological disorders among them.Occupatonal stress develops when an individual
feels he is not competent to undertake the role assigned to him effectively. Employees
going through personal or family problems tend to carry for workplace. When one is
in a depressed mood, his unfocused attention or lack of motivation affects his ability
to carry out job responsibility.

STRESS

The word stress is defined by the oxford Dictionary as a state of mental or

emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. A
condition or circumstance which can disturb the normal physiological and
physiological functioning of an inviduals.

According to Ivancevich&Matterson, stress is interaction of the individual

with the environment. It is an adoptive response, medicated by individual deference or
physiological process; that is a consequence of any external action, situation or event,
that places excessive physiological and physical demands upon a person.

CAUSES OR SOURSES OF STRES

Sources of stress can be classified into two broad categories

1. Organizational stressors: There are several potential stressors in

organizations.
2. Individual stressors: Personality, motivation ability, experience, status,
life style, beliefs values.

Organizational stressors Outcomes Individual stressors

1. Job qualities Job 1.Biograpycal variables

2. Physical environment stress 2.Needs & values
3. Roles in the organization 3.Life stages
4. Relationships 4.Type A/B Behaviors
5. Career development 5.Locus of controls
6. Change Stress 6.Flexibility/rigidity
outcomes 7. Introversion
Eustress or
Distress

Organizational stressors

I. Role in the organization

1. Role ambiguity
 2. Role conflict
3. Too little management support
4. Holding a middle management position
II. Relationships
1. With superiors
2. With subordinates
3. With colleagues
4. Inability to delegate
III. Physical environment
1. Working conditions like temperatures, noise, lighting, spatial
arrangements, crowding, privacy etc.
IV. Job qualities
1. Quantitative over load/under load
2. Time pressures
3. Responsibility for things/people
4. Work pace
V. Organizational structure
1. Lack of participation
2. No sense of belonging
3. Poor communication
4. Restrictions on behavior
5. Lack of opportunities
6. Inequity pay performance evaluation
7. Hours of work
VI. Career development
1. Status incongruity
2. Under promotion
3. Over promotion
4. Mid- career
5. Obsolescence

VII. Change
1. Organizational Personality factors
2. Individual

Extraversion Achievement
Transactional model of stress Attitudes

Introversion Orientation Rigid

Neurotic Sense of self conforming

Tendecies Interest Values

Other factors
Job factors
Home environment
Clarity of role in organization
Relationship with;
Relationship with ;
Parents
Superiors Spouse
Subordinates Children
Peers Other relatives
Neighbours
Working condition
Recreational activities
Nature of work
Financial conditions
Communication
Other factors
Signs and climate
Organizational symptoms of stress overload
Career
This prospects
is the important to be aware of the common warning signs and symptoms of
stress overload.
Cognitive symptoms

Memory problems

Inability to concentrate

Poor judgment

Seeing only the negative

Anxious or racing thoughts

Constant worrying

Emotional symptoms

Depression or general unhappiness

Anxiety and agitation

Moodiness, irritability, or anger

Feeling overwhelmed
 Loneliness and isolation

Other mental or emotional health problems

Physical symptoms

Aches and pains

Diarrhea or constipation

Nausea, dizziness

Chest pain, rapid heart rate

Loss of sex drive

Frequent colds or flu

Behavioral symptoms

Eating more or less

Sleeping too much or too little

Withdrawing from others

Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities

Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax

Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Organizational consequences of stress

High staff turnover & recruitment costs

This is, perhaps, the most common of the organizational consequences of

stress. Stressed employees do not tend to enjoy their working environment. While some
may have the confidence to seek their employers help in combating the stress, others
may feel they have no option but to leave the organization and remove them from the
stressful situation; sometimes as a result of medical advice. Also, employees who seek
help may not receive the help they require and so choose to leave the organization.
Unfortunately, many organizations make no attempt to ascertain the true reason for an
employees resignation and so never realize that their organization has an issue with
stress.

High absenteeism and presenteeism levels

Stressed individuals tend to experience more illness and so take more time
off due to illness. Absenteeism can also be the result of staff feeling that they simply
cannot cope with going into work so they attempt to escape the stressful situation by
remaining in the safety of their own home. In many instances, these staff will make it
into work but will be unable to contribute much. They are physically present but
psychologically they are elsewhere. This is referred to as Presenteeism.

These factors are usually just attributed to poor discipline on the employees part. Where
organizations recognize absenteeism and presenteeism as organizational consequences of
stress, they are able to take corrective action, to the benefit of both staff and the
organization, before things escalate out of control.

Reduced productivity levels

As exposure to stress is prolonged and chronic fatigue kicks in, it becomes

more difficult for the employee to work to an optimum level. As fatigue sets in,
concentration and motivation levels drop. This leads to mistakes creeping in to their
work. It also takes longer to complete tasks. The quantity and quality of the employees
work begins to suffer. This lowers the productivity levels of the company.

Litigation

Organizations have a legal obligation to provide a safe and healthy

workplace for their employees. This can include adequate training, safe work practices,
and a workplace free from bullying and harassment. Where an employee experiences
stress due to the organization failing to meet its legal obligations; the employee may seek
a legal remedy. This may result in costly legal proceedings and damage to the
organizations reputation. Of all the organizational consequences of stress, the one which
best motivates organizations to take action is the threat of litigation.

Reputational damage
 The reputation of the organization is damaged by the culture of stress which
can develop as a result of the failure to manage stress at both an organizational and
individual level. It doesnt take long for a company to develop such a reputation; though
it can take a long time to lose this reputation. With reduced productivity levels and the
decreased performance of staff a culture of poor customer service can develop.

Increased training costs

As a result of higher staff turnover, more induction courses are required. The
organization may also have to spend more on interpersonal skills, health and safety and
stress management training.

The organizational consequences of stress arise due to the failure to manage stress at both
the organizational and individual levels. A culture of stress can soon develop with many
damaging consequences for the organization. Where such a culture has developed there is
no quick fix solution for the organization. The organizational consequences of stress are
best avoided by adopting a stress management culture in the organization requiring the
buy-in of both management and staff.

Manage the stress

Workplace stress is often associated with physical health problems such as
headaches, upset stomach, and muscle tension; and psychological problems such as
depression, anxiety, and burnout. All of which may contribute to overall career
frustration. According to the American Institute of Stress (2014), workplace stress costs
organizations over $300 billion annually in lost productivity due to absenteeism, turnover
and healthcare expenditures.

A 2009 survey by the American Psychological Association indicated that 69% of

employees reported that work was a significant source of stress for them and substantially
interfered with their responsibilities at home. Studies indicate that across occupational
categories (blue-collar, white-collar, and helping professions) the social environment of
the organization played a significant role in predicting depression and burnout.
Characteristics of such included negative work relationships, interpersonal conflicts, lack
of peer support, and social isolation. There are several proven strategies that can be
implemented to reduce workplace stress and its associated consequences:
For organizations and managers, creating an environment that is conducive to
effectively coping with work stress results in significant economic benefits to the
corporation.

Reduce workplace stressors such as work overload, job insecurity, and limited
resources: Provide reasonable work demands and manageable work schedules. Increase
employee control over the nature and timing of their work performance as well as
decision-making within the organization. Enhance social support in the workplace;
support from both supervisors and colleagues has been shown to be effective in reducing
workplace stress.

Offer stress management programs that enhance employees coping strategies:

Programs designed to teach employees how to implement effective coping strategies in
the face of workplace stress, including time management, conflict resolution, mindfulness
meditation, relaxation and yoga, have been found to be effective.

Researchers from the Schools of Medicine at Duke University and the University of
Pennsylvania argue that in order for stress management programs to be effective, they
have to be accessible, convenient, and engaging to the employees, as well as cost-
effective and economically sustainable for the organization. These same researchers
conducted a randomized controlled trial examining the effectiveness of therapeutic yoga
and mindfulness-based stress reduction programs in reducing stress, enhancing emotional
well-being and work performance. The trial enrolled 239 employee volunteers who were
randomly assigned to one of three interventions: yoga, mindfulness meditation, or a
control condition that provided the participants with a list of insurance-provided
resources (fitness center discounts, wellness coaching opportunities etc.) They found that
compared to the control condition, the therapeutic yoga and mindfulness based programs
both lead to significant improvements in perceived stress levels and reduction in sleep
problems; suggesting these strategies are viable interventions to implement in the
workplace.

For individuals, enhancing your own coping strategies and resilience in the face of
workplace stress can reduce your risk for depression, anxiety, and burnout.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle: Under times of stress, a balanced diet, exercise, and sound
sleep can lay the foundation for effective stress management.
Identify what is stressing you out: Awareness of your triggers, thoughts, and feelings
when stressed is a first step towards taking action to control or manage your stress.

Avoid or learn how to manage stress more effectively: Some stressors are under your
control and can be avoided or changed (e.g., learning how to say to no to unreasonable
requests; prioritizing/managing your time more effectively; or shifting your
thoughts/beliefs about the situation), while others (e.g., an unexpected and urgent
deadline) may require acceptance and a reorganization of your priorities for the week.

Seek out support: Studies show that support from family, friends, and coworkers can
also help buffer the negative effects of work stress.

Seek professional help: If you find that your workplace stress is too much to handle on
your own, seeking support from a trained professional can be beneficial. They can help
you to identify the sources of your stress and develop strategies for dealing more
effectively with work-related stress.

Workplace stress takes a significant toll on the health and well-being of employees
and organizations and has far-reaching social and economic consequences. By
implementing an integrated and comprehensive stress-reduction approach that works at
the organizational, team, and individual level, corporations can promote work conditions
that foster resilience, well-being and organizational functioning

Methods of managing stress

1. Exercises

Physical and mental exercises help to reduce emotional imbalance.

Physicians advise walking and other exercises in the morning. Regular eating and
sleeping habits and yoga are very helpful.

2. Know your self

A study should be made to find out ones strengths and weaknesses,

opportunities and threats. A periodical analysis of these factors will provide better
understanding of self and the world around us which helps to reduce stress. Find out
your stress points.

3. Forecasting and preparing

 Advance thinking and foresight helps a manager to reduce risk involved in
decision making, proper allocation of resources is also helpful.

4. Organize work and Time

We need to separate work from home.Beark the routine in the form of a

small vacation on picnic. Share problems with spouse and friends.

5. Develop positive attitude

A positive attitude to both life and work does reduce stress. Make positive
use of stress. This helps to develop and correct perspective and to regain control over
the stress causing strategies .Accept things through which you cannot change.

6. Have faith

Faith in ones daily can reduce stress. The reciting of GAYATHRI MANTRA
and OM/AUM for those who follow this faith can reduce stress. This mantra is said
by the gist of Vedic philosophy.

7. Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) Technique

This is a dynamic action oriented learning process where individuals are made
to recognize the futility or irrationality of their firm beliefs view points and develop
rational beliefs and viewpoints.

How managers or employers can reduce stress at work

Managers can act as positive role models. If you can remain calm in stressful
situations, its much easier for your employees to follow suit. You can also make
number of organizational changes to reduce workplace stress, including:

Improve communication

One of the best ways to improve communication and reduce stress is to

listen attentively to an employee in a calm, face-to-face setting.

Youll hear the subtle intonations in someones voice that tell you how that
employee is really feeling.
 Youll make that employee feel heard.

Youll experience the face-to face interaction that lowers stress for both of
you.

Consult your employees

Share information with employees to reduce uncertainty about their jobs and
futures.

Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their jobs.

Be sure the workload is suitable to employees abilities and resources; avoid

unrealistic deadlines.

Show that individual workers are valued.

Offer rewards and incentives.

Provide opportunities for career development.

Promote an entrepreneurial work climate that gives employees more

control over their work.

Cultivate a friendly social climate

Provide opportunities for social interaction among employees.

Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.

Make management actions consistent with organizational value

Stress Reduction & Workplace Wellness Program

The Stress Reduction and Workplace Wellness Program have the power to cultivate
a transformation in the culture of your business or workplace. When employees and
managers learn to deal with stress effectively there are many long-term benefits in
reducing costs and improving productivity. Beyond reducing stress, mindfulness and
awareness training also cultivates mental clarity, resiliency, flexibility, creativity,
initiative and intuition, within individuals, their work-teams, and within the organization
as a whole. Mindfulness training has proved in clinical research to be a highly effective
antidote to the negative effects of stress.

Mindfulness is:

Being fully present in each moment, (not entangled in the past or worried
about the future)

Training attention

Experiencing life without judgment

Living life fully whatever the stressors or challenges may be

Learning to observe how mind works

Inner calm, relaxed and confident (despite external chaos)

Like a powerful microscope, mindfulness allows us to look at ourselves, our relationships

and our organizational structures in new ways.

The Program

The Stress-Reduction & Workplace Wellness Program is a nine week training

program in mindfulness based stress reduction, personal empowerment, and healthy
communication. Participants will attend one 3-hour class per week for nine weeks, and
practice mindfulness techniques throughout each week at home and at work.

Bottom line Benefits

Workplace stress-reduction programs along this model have been researched

extensively. Herbert Benson M.D., the best-selling author and renowned stress expert,
who coined the term the relaxation response, conducted two studies with his associates
in 1990 and 1992 and found that such programs decreased employees visits to the
doctors office by 35% to 50%. The programs paid for themselves in less than one year,
Benson notes, after which all savings went directly toward the companys bottom line.
And those savings were from reduced office visits alone. Stress-reduction programs have
also been shown to decrease the need for medications, cut down on absenteeism and
accidents, improve job performance, and alleviate stress-related problems such as
insomnia, depression, and high blood pressure. As Benson points out, Stress-hardy
employees may be a companys best defense against escalating medical costs.
 Human Resource Development

If an organization is to change the way its people think, act and relate, then
people must internalize a set of principles or disciplines that shape their reactions and
govern their behavior. Disciplines of this kind might also be called enduring social
patterns, but they are a good deal more than unconscious habits. Habits are automatic and
therefore mindless. Disciplines are mindful.

Mindfulness training in the Workplace Wellness Program can help the employees in your
organization to:

Transform stress and anxiety into inspiration, wisdom, and energy

Thrive on constant change

Manage information overload with wisdom and skill, to leverage

information for direct results

Prioritize work from a more vast vision and higher meaning

Nurture creativity, innovation, and initiative

Cultivate teamwork and shared vision

Release the full power of human potential

Transform conflict into creativity

Instill mental disciplines such as courage, curiosity, integrity, empathy,

focus, persistence, and vision

Through the discipline of mindfulness one examines the ways in which one limits
and deceives oneself. By relentlessly challenging our assumptions, we create the space
for new paradigms to arise. With mindfulness and awareness, reactive patterns of
thought, speech and behavior yield to a fresh perspective. Limiting beliefs and rigid
concepts melt away, allowing work teams to become dynamic and creative. When
growing and learning as a team becomes the priority, innovation and productivity soar.
Research has shown that even a small increase in employee morale and commitment can
lead to a measurable increase in customer satisfaction and overall profitability. The
Workplace Wellness program can be tailor-made to fit the needs of your organization.
Whether working with managers at any level, or staff and line employees, the group
training sessions have three components. One is mindfulness-based stress reduction and
awareness training. The second is personal empowerment and the third is the practice of
honest and fearless communication.