Small businesses deal with even more worker stress

NEW YORK — Robert Fellman can see it on his employees' faces: the fear, stress and discomfort that come from a difficult, even scary economic climate.

"There's panic in their eyes," said Fellman, director of PC Professor, a computer training company with offices in Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, Fla.

He also hears it when they try to reassure him that they'll do whatever it takes to keep their jobs: "If there's anything you need done, I'll accept the criticism, just let me know," is what he hears from staffers.

American workers are living through an extremely stressful time, between falling home values, rising food and energy costs and worries about job security. On top of all that, many people are aware of the crisis that has enveloped the financial system, and those with savings in the stock market are seeing their retirement nest eggs shrink.

Like Fellman's employees, many workers bring their stress into the small businesses where they work. His staffers are mainly uneasy, but at other companies, the symptoms may be more disruptive: angry outbursts, frequent absences, a loss of productivity.

How business owners handle a situation depends on the source of the stress. If it grows out of job insecurity, human resources professionals recommend a boss be up-front about what's going on with the company, let them know what the challenges are and what needs to be done.

There are two important reasons for this approach. One, a lack of information breeds even more stress. Second, if employees know what the company needs to do to succeed, they can help make it happen.

Fellman told his staff the company is doing all right, but it's harder to get business now. "It's not going to be handed to you like it normally is."

If a small business has to resort to layoffs or other cutbacks, it's best to do them at one time if that's possible, said Dean Debnam, president of Workplace Options, a work-life consultancy based in Raleigh, N.C.

"Don't dribble it out," he said. "Figure it out and do it all at once, and announce what the plan is, rather than torture everyone else who's staying with when the next shoe is going to drop."

An owner can help reduce stress in the office by giving out some positive feedback and saying "thank you" more often for workers' efforts. Employees are more likely to pitch in if they feel appreciated and validated.

While anxiety over job security certainly is an issue, Debnam said there actually is more stress in the workplace because of employees' financial and personal problems. "People are getting calls from credit card companies: They're overextended, they're worried about eviction."

That can lead to depression and difficulties at home, and some employees may turn to alcohol or drugs to help cope with the strain. All of these problems can affect how they act and perform at work and can have an impact on co-workers and the work flow.

Debnam said the solution in such cases is to talk to the employee about what's going on and let him or her know that there are services available to provide help. If the company has contracted with an employee assistance provider, the staffer can be referred for financial counseling and aid as well as mental health and addiction services. If the business has no EAP, then the owner should find out what community resources are available.

Debnam suggests owners take an understanding but firm approach when an employee's stress is affecting the workplace.

"Let the employee know that you care, that you're available," he said, but if there are angry outbursts or other forms of acting out, "you can say, 'that reaction was over the top; maybe you should take the afternoon off.' "

And, in such cases, staffers need to be told that they have to deal with their problems and not bring them to work.

Some owners are dealing with stress directly caused by higher gas prices.

Cline Waddell, who owns an Assisting Hands home care franchise in Boise, Idaho, has had employees tell him they can't afford to fill their gas tanks to take care of clients, who often live in rural areas some distance away. His workers, who are called caregivers, sometimes can't make the trip to a client's home.

Caregivers make about $9 an hour, and the price of regular gas in Idaho is averaging about $3.70 a gallon.

Waddell has 65 employees who work as caregivers. He's given them gas cards and reworked schedules so caregivers have a number of stops that are closer together.

But the stress is financial and emotional: "It's wearing on the caregivers and wearing on the business," Waddell said.

One reason is that many caregivers become quite attached to the elderly and sick people they care for, and it is upsetting for them when they can't afford to drive to a job.