Most competitive business organizations have taken the approach that work is inevitably stressful and that managing stress is up to each individual employeenot the company. However, one progressive firm that has taken a more responsive approach to managing its employeesstress is CIGNA. CIGNA is a global health care insurance organization, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that has over 30,000 employees. The company has concluded that the stressors facing their workforce today are greater than ever before. Among the growing sources of stress are increased hours necessitated by tight economic times and leaner staffs, new technologies that keep the job in front of people 24/7, and survivor guilt that workers feel when their co-workers lose their jobs. >> Instead of expecting its workers to soldier on despite unsettling feelings and situations, CIGNA devotes considerable time and resources to help its employees resolve their stress. The assistance is available via CIGNAs pioneering Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides counseling for a wide range of personal and work-related stressors. CIGNA even offers its EAP services to some of its client companies as part of its health benefits plan.

1. Is personal stress really a companys business? Shouldnt personal issues be kept private and STRESS REDUCTION AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY dealt with by each individual employee?

2.What are the most damaging contemporary causes of stress? Is stress more or different today than ever before? Does technology and rapid change make our workplaces more or differently stressful?

3. How do stress-related issues potentially reduce an individuals performance in a firm?

4. What potential business performance metrics (for example, productivity, cost reduction, customer service) might be affected by effective stress management strategies or interventions?

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