The Herald recently reported that increasing numbers of employees are being overwhelmed by work pressures. This is an issue we frequently come across. The problem seems to occur most often to professionals and managers. The causes include pressure to work longer and harder because of a difficult trading environment, employees who leave not being replaced (forcing other employees to take up additional work for which they may have no spare capacity), bad management at a more senior level, and management using work pressure as a  tool to force an employee out. While the underlying reasons may differ, the effect on the employee is usually the same: increasing levels of stress and negative effects on health. The health effects include psychological issues (depression, insomnia and feeling stressed out), as well as physical. If your employer can’t, or won’t, take steps to ensure that your workload is safe and manageable then you owe it to yourself, and your family, to seek help. We have helped many employees to resolve work situations involving extreme ongoing stress. Please talk to us if you have any concerns.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10859339

Burnout and stress are common in New Zealand workplaces. Often people are told they should be grateful to have a job, and they feel forced to work longer and longer hours to pay the bills. 

If this is you - stop!

Some work stress in inevitable, and there will be times when it may be more than other times. That’s normal. But when the demands become too great, or they go on for too long, you need to stop and consider if you should be putting up with that level of stress. Your family would rather have you alive and not stressed to the max, than dead from a heart attack, or severely depressed, as a result of trying to cope with an impossible situation. It’s just not worth it.

If workplace stress is getting too much, your employer has an obligation to you to help, and if the situation just won’t get better then a exit negotiation and going to a better job is usually the best alternative.

For an interesting article on the effects of workplace stress click here:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10808621