Stressed
?
?
Some
employers
think
there's
a
better
way
to
work
Work
can
be
difficult
these
days
,
right
?
Deadlines
,
clients
,
next
quarter
results
,
it
all
adds
up
to
the
pressure
.
Surely
there
aren't
any
well
paid
jobs
without
stress
.
Or
are
there
?
Usually
when
I
speak
to
my
English
students
,
my
first
question
is
,
"
How
are
you
today
?
"
The
response
too
often
is
,
"
I'm
fine
,
but
rather
tired
.
.
.
it
was
a
stressful
day
,
too
much
work
.
.
.
not
enough
staff
,
customers
chasing
us
.
"
Now
,
I
appreciate
that
my
survey
is
unscientific
and
unrepresentative
,
after
all
,
English
students
do
tend
to
be
the
most
ambitious
and
the
most
successful
employees
at
the
company
!
Nonetheless
,
the
pattern
is
clear
,
and
most
of
them
worry
about
their
health
and
well
being
.
So
is
stress
an
inevitable
to
success
?
Fortunately
,
some
important
companies
are
emerging
as
of
a
new
sensibility
,
recognizing
that
constant
stress
isn't
a
badge
of
honor
or
an
indicator
of
competency
,
but
rather
,
counterproductive
.
Some
of
you
may
be
familiar
with
harmful
workplace
practices
such
as
long
working
hours
,
economic
insecurity
from
constant
'reorganization'
,
work
-
family
conflict
,
and
24
/
7
availability
expected
.
CEO
,
Bob
Chapman
,
of
the
manufacturing
firm
Barry
-
Wehmiller
,
ventured
that
your
supervisor
has
become
more
important
to
your
health
than
your
family
doctor
!
The
fact
is
work
practices
like
these
are
and
unnecessary
,
they
are
not
only
bad
for
the
employees
,
but
also
have
a
negative
impact
on
the
company
.
Long
working
hours
relate
in
a
negative
way
to
productivity
per
hour
.
Despite
claims
to
the
contrary
from
ambitious
finance
directors
,
and
redundancies
seldom
,
if
ever
,
improve
organizational
performance
and
often
result
in
driving
away
the
most
valuable
people
from
the
company
.
Moreover
,
research
in
the
last
thirty
years
has
consistently
shown
that
giving
people
more
control
over
how
and
when
they
do
their
tasks
increases
motivation
and
engagement
.
Was
it
always
thus
?
The
answer
is
a
resounding
no
.
In
the
1950s
and
1960s
,
CEOs
saw
their
responsibility
as
balancing
their
obligations
to
shareholders
,
employees
,
and
customers
.
Now
,
for
whatever
reason
,
the
interests
of
the
shareholders
are
put
first
and
no
one
speaks
up
for
the
interests
of
the
employees
.
So
,
is
the
situation
one
of
doom
and
gloom
?
Will
we
all
soon
be
on
short
-
term
contracts
and
subjected
to
email
at
unearthly
hours
of
the
day
and
night
?
Fortunately
,
the
answer
is
no
.
There
are
some
companies
that
take
their
employees
well
being
seriously
.
Let's
look
at
a
few
successful
examples
.
In
a
very
competitive
sector
,
Patagonia
grants
all
its
employees
health
insurance
from
day
one
and
every
other
weekend
is
a
three
-
day
weekend
.
SAS
Institute
employs
a
Chief
Health
Officer
whose
job
is
to
ensure
that
employees
are
as
healthy
as
possible
.
Zappos
,
seller
of
popular
shoe
brands
like
Converse
and
Asics
,
prioritizes
employee
fitness
above
all
else
.
New
employees
are
offered
$2
,
000
to
quit
after
the
first
week
of
training
if
they
decide
the
job
isn't
for
them
.
Chevron
,
the
oil
company
,
insists
employees
take
regular
breaks
and
provides
health
and
fitness
centers
at
its
sites
.
Smart
employees
are
becoming
wise
to
the
situation
.
Job
selection
needs
to
be
made
on
the
basis
of
psychological
and
physical
health
,
not
just
on
salary
and
promotion
prospects
.
Meanwhile
,
smart
employers
need
to
measure
the
health
of
their
workforce
,
not
simply
the
bottom
line
of
their
annual
accounts
.
Let's
check
your
understanding
!
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