New white paper from The Oxygen Plan’s chief science officer and founder shows organizations how to discern their Stress Number™ and the advantages of managing employee stress
MINNEAPOLIS—April 7, 2011—Employee stress drains $400 billion a year from U.S. businesses—yet many organizations don’t fully understand the damage stress causes to profit margins, productivity levels and employee health. A new white paper from The Oxygen Plan urges employers to learn their “Stress Number™” and develop an effective stress management program.
A “Stress Number™” is an aggregated measure of the stress affecting an organization’s workforce. Employers can obtain a copy of the free white paper, “Learn Your Organization’s Stress Number™,” by visiting http://www.theoxygenplan.com/employers/research-papers/.
A simple workforce survey can help companies collect the necessary information to learn employee stress levels and the root causes of their stress, including non-work related triggers. Gathering this information through surveys will give the most accurate picture of the impact of stress on individual workers and on business outcomes.
The white paper offers steps to take after surveying employees, as well as an overview of employers’ options and considerations when purchasing or updating stress management programs. It also underscores the importance of implementing a solution devoted exclusively to stress management.
The paper is co-authored by Dr. Donald E. Williams, chief science officer of The Oxygen Plan, and Eric Lucas, its founder. The Oxygen Plan is a behavior change program that helps organizations to reduce the costly and negative effects of stress in the workplace and at home.
“Many organizations invest in costly resources like EAPs, work-life programs, health and wellness programs, financial management programs, and flexible work arrangements,” said Dr. Williams. “But many employers are unaware of their employees’ actual stress levels, how much of their stress is job-related and the root causes of their stress.”
“Stress diminishes the engagement and effectiveness of a workforce, erodes workers’ physical and emotional health, and drives up medical and insurance costs,” said Lucas. “Determining your organization’s Stress Number™ can reduce healthcare costs and insurance fees, curb absenteeism and turnover rates and boost employee productivity.”
Dr. Williams is a clinical and consulting psychologist with over 25 years of experience, specializing in assessing and treating stress and stress-related disorders. For nearly 18 years, Williams served on the staff of the Mayo Clinic as a Consultant in clinical health psychology and is certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Lucas is founder of The Oxygen Plan, a behavior change program that helps organizations reduce costly and negative effects of stress in the workplace and at home.
About The Oxygen Plan
The Oxygen Plan is an online behavior change program that helps organizations reduce the costly and negative effects of stress in the workplace and at home, including increased healthcare expenses, chronic medical conditions, mental health issues, absenteeism and productivity losses, and reduced employee engagement. The company’s patent-pending stress management system teaches individuals to recognize the sources and symptoms of stress and provides them with tools and information for effectively reducing and avoiding stress. For more information, visit http://www.theoxygenplan.com.
Media Contact:
Elrond Lawrence
HRmarketer for The Oxygen Plan
elawrence@hrmarketer.com
831.632.2183