Personal Stress Solutions: Case Studies: Company C

Personal Stress Solutions: Case Studies: Company C

Reorganization stress of Fortune 100 company is measured, then reduced

The Situation: When it came time to evolve from a large, centralized company with several subsidiaries to a swifter, more segmented organization with decentralized decision-making and restructured responsibilities at the corporate, regional and local levels, this Fortune 100 company thought they were prepared. For years, employees had access to an employee assistance program, in-house stress management programs, and fitness programs. Additional resources were put in place to address the stress of the restructuring. Months later, the company was still identifying high levels of stress in two regional offices that were among the oldest in the company. More managers than non-managers were expressing stress-related concerns and reporting a breakdown in communications. Executives were questioning the value of existing corporate stress management programs.

The Organization Stress Profile: More than 1,800 employees with access to the corporate intranet voluntarily took the Stress Navigator Workshop. Analysis of data groups by regional office showed that three of the twelve regional offices had clinically meaningful levels of stress, particularly as related to concerns about the future, confusion regarding job descriptions, and lines of authority and responsibility. Stress seemed to derive from the workplace and ripple into the other areas of employees’ lives. This was true across the board: To the company’s surprise, no significant differences in stress levels were found between managers and non-managers in any of the regional offices.

However, female employees reported more stress and higher symptom levels, in themselves as individuals, in their families and in social situations, than did men. The women’s stress was mostly linked to the competing demands of family and work, indecision regarding career choices, social isolation and sex discrimination. Males reported higher levels of vulnerability. The highest stress was reported in the two regions with the highest population density, traffic, social isolation, noise, crime, and ethnic and racial differences and tensions.

In fact, it was a tribute to the effectiveness of the current stress management structure that the high stress levels had not affected utilization of health benefits to a greater extent.

The Resolution: The company continued their stress management and wellness programs, and increased them in high stress regions with particular efforts toward resolving ethnic and racial tensions and competitions. No extraordinary effort was directed toward managers. It was also recommended that the addition of workshops and seminars on women’s issues would be well worth the investment in time and energy. Stress Directions helped this company identify and address their stress issues efficiently and productively.

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