Working Stress

September 27, 2006

Research suggests that late hours and red tape hurt your job performance more than you or your boss realize.

University of Florida researchers tested the effects of different types of stress on employees across various occupations. They found challenge stressors had a direct positive impact by motivating workers. But researcher Nathan Podsakoff says hindrance stressors, like red tape and job insecurity, have a big negative impact on motivation and performance.

Podsakoff: “Challenge and hindrance stress have different effects on the attitudes of employees, their perceptions about the workplace, intentions to either stay or leave the workplace. And behaviors such as performance, job search, and turnover.”

More than ever, experts say companies must help employees balance the good stress and the bad.

Podsakoff: “If managers can recognize the types of stress the employees are experiencing, they might be better able to alleviate that stress, either through redesigning the job of the person, the employee, their subordinate, or by offering programs which help reduce the strains associated with challenge and hindrance stress.”

So bosses and workers can’t treat all stress the same and expect results.