c o r p o r a t e 
s p i r i t a u s t r a l i a
s p i r i t a u s t r a l i a 
The spirit of a good company is its people
s p i r i t a u s t r a l i a The Business of Stress
What is Stress?
Hans Selye defines stress in terms of the response your body makes to any demand on it. He also said that if the stress response continues unabated, it will ultimately lead to diseases that can progress to exhaustion and death.
Fact: Up to 75% of all visits to doctors are stress related.
What is Workplace Stress?
The rapidly changing nature of work is taking its toll on workers. Increasing pressures from changing work patterns, new technologies and longer hours of work are causing increasing levels of stress.
One useful definition of stress is:
"The harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury."
(NIOSH, 1999).
Why is Stress Management important in the workplace?
A National Health Survey (ABS 2001) revealed that over a million workers or 11.2 percent of the workforce took on average three days sick leave each fortnight in an attempt to cope with stress levels.
Stress in the workplace can be caused by:
· disparity between expectations and hard reality
What are the benefits of a Workplace Wellness Program?
A focussed stress management program can help create sustainable improvements in employee performance. Other benefits include:
· Competitive edge in recruiting and enhanced corporate image
Why use Corporate Spirit Australia?
Corporate Spirit Australia has developed the Business of Stress series aimed at three levels within the organisation. They are:
· The Leadership Program (Mastering Stress)
Each program is stimulating and informative, providing participants with simple and effective tools, strategies and techniques to better understand and manage stress in their work and personal lives. The difference with each program is the level of detail and subject matter covered.
Our clients rate these programs very highly, however understanding the precise nature of stress in your organisation via an extensive Stress Audit, would enable us to design a unique program tailored around your specific organisational issues. A Stress Audit may identify areas of organisational change needed to improve working conditions before a comprehensive stress management program can be implemented to ensure the most useful approach for reducing stress at work.
We would be happy to discuss in more detail the process of conducting a Stress Audit in your organisation.
· lack of clearly defined boundaries
· feelings of incompetence
· conflict in being a leader and worker at the same time
· workplace conflict
· confusion of role identity with self image
· time management / difficulty in managing interruptions
· 'administration overload'
· Improved ability to retain skilled staff and increase return on training investments
· Reduced absenteeism and staff turnover
· Improved productivity
· Reduced stress levels
· Improved morale, commitment and loyalty
· These programs teach employees how to manage health symptoms and provide direction on what to do about them
· Intermediate Program (Managing Stress)
· Introductory Program (Introduction to Stress Management)