The High Cost of Stress: The Case for Corporate Wellness

Today, stress is recognized as one of the main health problems affecting us. One of the central components of our wellness solutions at Training Amgio is both stress management and wellness coaching. We know how important it is to keep stress at a minimum, because this plays out in the personal, and, of course, in the professional sector. A recent study, published in Forbes Magazine reports that  22,347 employees in the UK and the US revealed that over half of those employees were stressed and disengaged. The numbers are staggering. Stress is a major player in productivity levels on the job.  High levels lead to decreased immune function, so employees take more sick days, because they get more colds and viruses, and are out for more days.  Not surprisingly, they also reported feeling very fatigued, even without a cold. Finally, many of the participants claimed they were really afraid of burnout.

Parents appear to be particularly vulnerable to negative repercussions from stress. If your child is doing poorly at school, for example, and you have a complex project, with a strict deadline-- it’s hard to focus on the task at hand.  Especially if you know you are meeting with the principal after work, or first thing in the morning. Or your child is sick, and you have to leave work early, or you're working late and will miss the recital of your child’s music class.  The list goes on and on.  In fact, many single mothers report working late on work days, as well as on weekends-just to keep up.  A staggering 40% of US householdsinclude a working mother as the sole or primary earner in the family.  Add all of the above to the struggle for good child care, and you have a large demographic that is very over-worked and stressed out.

Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent insomnia or your decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be the culprit. -- The Mayo Clinic.

Again, one of the core tenants of our benefits and solutions is stress reduction, and the reasons are clear.  Especially when we consider the very large demographic of working mothers. Businesses that address this issue will always win-and our wellness solutions work with the individual as well as the corporation. Lowered stress means a more engaged employee and higher productivity.