Such alarming rise of work-related stress leads to terrible consequences for employees in the working world. In that context, the tragic incident was that of a young professional by the name of Anna Sebastian Perayil, who died due to pressures from her job shortly after she started working as a Chartered Accountant. It also raises very critical questions about workplace culture, management practices, and the need to maintain a healthier balance between work and life.
Emergence of Work Stress
Work stress has become an issue that cuts across all fields of employment, more so demanding environments such as finance and accounting. Pressure from performance, deadlines, and expectations can cause employee burnout, psychological disturbances, and even more disastrous results, such as those experienced by Anna.
Anna first crossed a major achievement threshold with the qualification as Chartered Accountant. It demands great efforts and hard work. She soon got engaged in one of the world’s most prestigious firms, Ernst & Young (EY). It was an important milestone but marked the start of her battle with work-related stress.
Impact of Management Culture
One of the important reasons for Anna’s stress is her manager. The corporate cultures in some organizations can be toxic, focusing more on the outcomes than on the people. Anna’s manager is termed to be a ‘difficult’ person where she demanded so much of Anna and pushed unnecessary work that added pressure to her making her exhausted.
In most cases, such management practices are undertaken out of ignorance regarding how stress may likely affect the health of employees. It may be that managers are not aware of the serious implications of their demands on the health status of employees, even to the extent of psychosocial consequences, and as in the case of Anna, death.
Effects of Failure to Manage Employee Welfare
Unless the personal well-being of employees is ignored, employees might face tragic consequences for both employees and organizations. For instance, the employees, as Anna, may exhaust themselves to meet the sky-high expectations for performance and health. This falls under overwork and a perpetual cycle of trying to prove oneself, which usually seems to involve some stake in physical and mental health.
Not only this, but an organization that shows little care for the well-being of its employees will suffer from a tremendous rate of turnover, low productivity, and poor reputation in the industry. Organizations need to understand that their most prized asset is their workforce and that investment in employees’ health is important for long-term sustainability.
Balance at Work
Work-life balance must be achieved in reducing workplace stress between employees and employers. Employees should be encouraged to create clear boundaries and express their needs without retaliation. Likewise, employers also have to encourage a culture of wellness rather than just productivity.
Implementing the same kind of work-life practices not only contributes to a healthier but also more engaged workforce. This includes providing for regular breaks and mental health resources, besides open discussions about workload and expectations.
Lesson from Anna’s Story
Anna’s story is tragic, but it is going to wake up the organizational management for reviewing management practices and the kind of culture prevailing in the organization. Now, this high time demands a change in the approach about employees’ wellbeing. Consider the following:
•Employee Well-being should be given first priority. The organization should come on terms with the importance of mental health and the environment that supports it.
•Open and Honest Communication: Workers should not feel afraid to report workload or stress they are experiencing.
•Work Life Balance: Organizations should establish policies promoting employees’ healthy work-life balance
•Provide Help and Resources: Be there adequate provisions that resources for mental health and systems for support will be made available to employees who are stressed.
The corporate world needs to be vigilant about work-related stress and build a healthier environment around employees. In that respect, Anna’s story is a wake-up call regarding the potential repercussions due to negligence toward employee wellbeing. Organizations should provide mental health care support and two-way communication and ensure a healthy work-life balance to construct a support culture where employees are given every opportunity to blossom.
After all, it is all our responsibility to make the workplace better in working conditions. Be that an employee or a manager, we need to be aware of what stress can do and how solutions to it will benefit both parties. Let’s pay homage to the memory of Anna by working for change in the workplace so no one faces this again.
