Top 3 Things That Destroy Employee Performance
This topic is causing employers a good amount of headache, trying to pinpoint the most significant reasons that negatively impact employee performance. The reasons for that heightened attention is the fact that a diminished employee performance takes a direct toll on a company’s profitability. The causes are numerous, but most of those are directly or indirectly linked to one of the three factors below.
1. Stress
According to the American Institute for Stress, work-related stress costs U.S. companies about $300 billion annually mostly through diminished employee productivity, absenteeism, increased employee turnover and direct medical, legal and insurance fees. Stress is, unfortunately, part of our everyday life. While according to scientists some stress is a good thing, too much of that is a cause for significant concern. The workplace, in particular, has proven itself to be the most significant source of negative stress in our life. Here are some of the origins of workplace stress:
- unreasonable deadlines and expectations
- constant pressure to perform
- micromanaging bosses
- backstabbing coworkers
- lack of job security
- lack of control over our destiny
- negative work environment
- feeling unappreciated
These are just some of the most common reasons as to why many end up on a fast track to job burnout, disengagement, and depression. Understandably, once employees start developing negative sentiment or resentment towards their co-workers, managers and their organization employee performance will quickly begin to suffer. Furthermore, there is a well-established link between chronic stress and deterioration of health. It is not uncommon for people in high-stress job functions to suffer a heart attack on the job or while on vacation as a direct consequence of a large amount of toxic work-related stress exposure.
So what can employers do to help improve employee performance? As they say, a little can go a long way. Arming employees with the skills to deal with stress is one particularly effective way to increase employee performance. The most effective technique that should be learned by everyone is conscious breathing. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that learning and practicing breath control can be tremendously helpful in reducing stress and improve stress-related conditions. There is a reason why breath control is such an integral part of ancient practices like yoga, tai chi, and meditation. How can such simple thing as learning to breathe appropriately help? The explanation can be found in human physiology. For example, when we feel stressed or anxious, our breathing pattern changes. We tend to take rapid, shallow breath disrupting the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. When you consciously slow down your breath, creating a relaxed breathing pattern, your body will respond the following positive ways rapidly reducing your stress level:
- reduction in levels of stress hormones in the blood
- lowered heart rate
- lowered blood pressure
- re-established homeostasis between blood oxygen and carbon-dioxide
- boost of energy
- feeling of calm
Try this simple breathing exercise to help you relieve stress and anxiety.
2. Poor employee health
According to the CDC, 86 percent of all health care expenditures are spent on preventable chronic illnesses. Unhealthy employees are a significant cost factor for any business. The top 4 most expensive health conditions are:
- high blood pressure
- heart attack
- diabetes
- chest pain.
While the bad news is, these conditions have become the new normal in our modern day society, the good news is that these ailments are mostly preventable. The problem is however that a tremendous amount of misinformation and complacency make prevention of these conditions reasonably tricky. Many will blame genes and family history for the “sudden,” and unexpected appearance of chronic diseases and many will need help with changing their course. Coupled with the population’s “there is a pill for every ill” mentality, the chances of turning things around seem quite slim. The facts remain facts, however, by eliminating risk factors (such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, etc.), at least 80% of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes could be prevented, as demonstrated by statistics published by the World Health Organization. This means that there is an enormous need to re-educate and empower people to wake up and take charge of their health.
Companies have the single most significant vested interest in improving the health of their employees. It has been shown in many clinical studies that a healthier workforce equals much greater employee performance. Employees dealing with chronic diseases typically miss far more days from work. In addition, people with chronic conditions take several prescription medications with many undesirable side effects that have the potential to negatively impact not only their performance but their overall quality of life. These employees often do not feel well, have a more difficult time staying focused on their work, which leads to increased presenteeism.
In the United States, people spend a disproportionately large amount of time at work. This leaves employees with very little free time, making it particularly difficult for self-care. Employers must recognize that it is their vested interest to help maintain and improve the health of their workforce. Since employee health or lack thereof directly impacts company bottom line, corporate wellness initiatives should be laser-focused on finding effective ways to create a healthy workforce. There are five essential steps businesses should follow to address this urgent issue:
- Assess the health of the employees
- Plan strategies
- Implement health and well-being focused programs
- Evaluate the results
- Lead by example
One solution to remedy this situation is to provide on-site wellness education. Wellness workshops are a popular and effective way to inspire and empower employees to take action. Furthermore, as prevention is far less expensive than chronic disease management, health promotion and disease prevention workshops may help organizations reduce their healthcare spending.