Employees are an organization’s most valuable resource because they are the ones who run it, and a well-run workplace can easily return the maximum profit. 

Even if you enjoy your job, work can be the main cause of stress for many people. Despite the fact that you love what you do, you risk burning out at work if you place too much emphasis on performance. Many do argue that work is stressful everywhere, but this should not be the case. If the employees feel stressed out, they are not going to perform at their best. Interpersonal relationship skills can also be included along with job performance concerns when it comes to workplace stress.

Let us understand the impact which workplace stress has on the employees 

What is Stress?

When our body reacts to a threat of any kind, internal or external, that could materialize at any time, we experience stress. Although everyone reacts to stress differently, we typically feel overwhelmed, anxious, irritable, and on edge when it is present. As a result, we tend to become distracted and make poor decisions. 

Human brains are not great at determining which stressors are life or death, and that is the reason why an encounter with a fearless tiger triggers the same reaction as making a mistake in an important presentation. 

While we all know and understand that stress can have negative implications on our health, it is important to highlight that good stress and bad stress exist. On the one hand, healthy stress, also known as eustress, encourages us to take action in life, sharpens our focus, and enhances our work experiences.  

Contrarily, job stress is defined as a negative physiological and emotional reaction that occurs when the demands of the job don’t align with the employee’s requirements, resources, or abilities. Employees who are under a lot of work stress typically have poorer health, as well as lower job satisfaction and productivity. 

Impact of Stress on Productivity and Employee 

Stress cannot be treated as an employee’s problem as it can affect an organization’s overall performance. When an employee is unable to produce their best work, their productivity level automatically declines, which in turn lowers their motivation and willingness to finish the task. Stress can harm a person’s nature and prevent them from being their very best at work. 

Here are a few of the consequences of stress in the workplace. 

• High workplace stress leads to high turnover: The more stressed out employees are, the more likely they are to leave their jobs—nearly half of them look for other employment, while the remaining employees either quit or threaten to quit their current positions when there is high workplace stress. High employee turnover costs the business money to replace lost productivity and new talent. 
• Employees get disconnected from their jobs due to stress: When there is a lot of stress at the workplace, most employees stop aligning with the vision of the organization. When an employee loses interest in their work and their jobs, productivity eventually stops.
• Employee absence affects the revenue:  Due to stress, an employee can quit the job or take time off. Due to this, the management has to take appropriate measures to make up for the absence of an employee. To complete the work, they can hire other candidates or freelancers, which is an expensive option. 
• Other health problems are brought on by workplace stress: The body may suffer if work-related stress prevents you from getting enough sleep. Due to stress, many people avoid engaging in any physical activity, which will cause obesity. All these side effects of workplace stress get compounded and lead to lower productivity and higher hostility.

Closing Thoughts

Stress is prevalent and pervasive. But we shouldn’t consider the negative effects of workplace stress to be normal. Everyone on the team suffers when stress interferes with work, so this issue must be resolved

Everyone deserves to find stress relief. Whether you do night shift work, contract work, or anything else, we need working conditions that value the health of employees. We must insist that our employers give our physical and mental health top priority. Programs and resources must be set up to enable employees to comprehend the negative effects of stress on our bodies.