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Stress is a word which is featuring more and more in everyday life, particularly in relation to the office or workplace. It is the cause of many absences from work - frequently in the long term - it is the cause of often serious illness and can even contribute to potentially fatal conditions such as heart attacks. It is therefore very much in the interests of any employer to first of all determine and then ensure that they implement strategies to help cope with stress in the office.

It is likely that even those fortunate enough not to have personally experienced stress in the office will have witnessed same and the symptoms of same in others. Stress can manifest itself in a great many ways but the most common in the first instance will include irritability, confusion and disorientation, sweating or perspiring and deep sighing or slumping forward with head held in hands. These symptoms clearly cause most distress to the individual suffering from them but can also be at best extremely distracting for others round about them in the office or workplace.

The very first strategy to help cope with stress in the office is to clearly determine the principal cause or causes of same. Like any other problem of this nature, it is the root cause which has to be addressed before the symptoms can in any way be alleviated. It may well be that the manager or employer is already aware of the causes of the stress and that they are simply factors which are inextricably associated with the particular job, but where this is not the case, a full and detailed investigation must be made without delay.

The manager or employer has to be extremely careful as to how they go about this investigation. It is important that they do not place undue further stress on the unfortunate sufferer by drawing the attention of their colleagues to their plight. A discreet word may be in order, or casual but detailed observation on a short term basis as to the employee's work pattern and behaviour.

If the cause or causes of the stress can be determined to be such as an unfair or biased workload in comparison to their colleagues, the manager must address this effectively. They may wish to consider the structure of the workload and responsibilities in the office and amend them accordingly. This is of course always good management practise, keeping abreast of changing circumstances, but is essential when looking at coping with stress in the office.

If the individual has problems outwith the workplace, the manager or employer is obviously in a much more difficult situation. They may wish to suggest that the stress sufferer take some time off which is due to them, or attempt to put them on lighter duties in the short term until they can resolve their issues outstanding. It may be that if the employer is a large one, it will provide specialised counselling services for employees in these specific situations.

Where the stress in the office is more widespread and applies to the office staff in general, the manager has a much more serious issue to address. If the company is a large one, the issue may well be required to be referred to a higher level to consider such as a shortage of staffing resources. If the company is a small one and the manager is also the employer, they may have to consider this issue very seriously themselves.

The best strategy of all, however, to help cope with stress in the office is for the manager to constantly be on the lookout for it, know how to recognise it and undertake to address it at the earliest possible juncture. This will be to the short and long term benefit of all parties concerned.

Learn more about this author, Gordon Hamilton.
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