Although the economy is on an upward trend, employees in Pennsylvania and across the country continue to be burdened with stress and heavy workloads. More than 80 percent of the more than 1,000 employees surveyed nationally in a recent study said they felt stress due to work and too little pay; that is a 10-percentage-point increase in just one year.
A number of reasons were listed, in order of their impact on employees: low pay, feeling overworked, annoying coworkers, traffic and the drive to work, unsatisfying work and a lack of balance between work and home life. Some people don't realize, however, that many workplace illnesses, high divorce and even strokes can result from stress.
As an individual working in one of the most stressful fields there is, one police officer noted that their department offers free counseling for stress that manifests itself in a variety of ways, such as divorce, post-traumatic stress syndrome and work-related issues. Part of the purpose of counseling is to encourage law enforcement personnel to more easily identify stress and help them feel more comfortable talking to each other. An expert in communications also observed that stress in life connects with the high level of uncertainty people face in general. She added that part of the problem is a matter of perspective. By reassessing the situation, some individuals can better cope with stress.
Workplace stress contributes to a number of health issues that employees may not recognize until it's too late. A worker who becomes ill due to stress on the job might benefit from a worker's compensation attorney who can help them pursue legal action and potentially secure fair and just compensation.
Source: ClarionLedger.com, "Stress rising, workplace survey shows", Sherry Lucas, April 9, 2013
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