How to Be Successful in a Stressful Business Environment
Identify if you have an abusive boss or coworkers., Notice any illegal or unsafe activities., Ask yourself if it is performance-related., Consider if it has to do with the nature of the work.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Identify if you have an abusive boss or coworkers.
Your job may be unnecessarily stressful due to a hostile work environment created by an abusive boss or coworkers.
Is your boss a narcissist, manipulating others and taking credit for their work? Do they use fear and intimidation to bully employees? Are you or others sexually harassed or treated differently based on your race, gender, or age?These issues should not be ignored.
Keep a record of any incidents.
Talk to your company's human resources department or, if there is no HR department, talk to a supervisor or higher up, or a union representative.
If that isn't an option, talk to a lawyer.
Simply threatening to sue might be enough to get things to change.
An abusive boss or any form of harassment is not okay.
You may have grounds to pursue legal action against them.
Leaving your job for a healthier environment is also a possibility.
Sometimes the entire culture of a company is toxic, and you are better off making an exit and going somewhere with a better environment. -
Step 2: Notice any illegal or unsafe activities.
Are you being asked to falsify logs, documents, data or otherwise commit fraud? Do you have a coworker asking you to cover for them and lie about something? Do you notice clear safety violations in your workplace, but management refuses to correct them when confronted? These, along with things like selling of controlled substances, theft, and harassment should be reported.
If management is not aware of these problems, speak to them or the HR department.
If management is part of the problem, then it may be necessary to involve the authorities.
If your safety is at risk, get out of the situation as soon as possible.
Tell your boss you won't work in unsafe conditions.
Make sure that the law is in fact being violated before taking action.
In some cases, the management may not be aware that the activity is occurring or may not know they are violating a law.
The first step is to try and be collaborative when dealing with the issue, especially if you want to continue to work there.You might say something like, "I'm happy to work the overtime if you want, but remember I'm non-exempt, so the company is required by federal law to pay for it."If nothing changes, weigh your options.
Unfortunately, pursuing legal action against a company may have a negative impact on your career.
Try consulting an employment attorney to find out your options if you decide to become a whistle-blower while at the company or after you leave.
You will likely need to take very specific actions to protect yourself.There are laws against retaliation and whistleblowing. , You may be stressed out at work because you realize you haven't had the appropriate training to do your job well or efficiently.
Or perhaps you are expected to do a certain amount of work during an unreasonably short time period.
Or perhaps you have no idea what the expectations are — there may be little or no direction, leaving you confused about what needs to get done.
A lack of communication can often turn a workplace toxic.
If employees rarely feel like they know what is going on or are the last to hear about decisions that have been made, discuss solutions with your management.A log book, in which new information is available for employees to read at the start of each shift, or daily or weekly meetings to inform employees of any changes could potentially help improve communication.
Ask your boss about receiving additional training or if you can sit down and review the company's objectives. , Some jobs, like being a first responder or working in an emergency room, are inherently stressful.
Ask yourself if your job is, by its nature, stressful.
If that's the case, ask yourself if you are willing to live with that.
If so, take measures to learn to deal with stress in healthy, constructive ways so that it doesn't interfere with your health and wellbeing. -
Step 3: Ask yourself if it is performance-related.
-
Step 4: Consider if it has to do with the nature of the work.
Detailed Guide
Your job may be unnecessarily stressful due to a hostile work environment created by an abusive boss or coworkers.
Is your boss a narcissist, manipulating others and taking credit for their work? Do they use fear and intimidation to bully employees? Are you or others sexually harassed or treated differently based on your race, gender, or age?These issues should not be ignored.
Keep a record of any incidents.
Talk to your company's human resources department or, if there is no HR department, talk to a supervisor or higher up, or a union representative.
If that isn't an option, talk to a lawyer.
Simply threatening to sue might be enough to get things to change.
An abusive boss or any form of harassment is not okay.
You may have grounds to pursue legal action against them.
Leaving your job for a healthier environment is also a possibility.
Sometimes the entire culture of a company is toxic, and you are better off making an exit and going somewhere with a better environment.
Are you being asked to falsify logs, documents, data or otherwise commit fraud? Do you have a coworker asking you to cover for them and lie about something? Do you notice clear safety violations in your workplace, but management refuses to correct them when confronted? These, along with things like selling of controlled substances, theft, and harassment should be reported.
If management is not aware of these problems, speak to them or the HR department.
If management is part of the problem, then it may be necessary to involve the authorities.
If your safety is at risk, get out of the situation as soon as possible.
Tell your boss you won't work in unsafe conditions.
Make sure that the law is in fact being violated before taking action.
In some cases, the management may not be aware that the activity is occurring or may not know they are violating a law.
The first step is to try and be collaborative when dealing with the issue, especially if you want to continue to work there.You might say something like, "I'm happy to work the overtime if you want, but remember I'm non-exempt, so the company is required by federal law to pay for it."If nothing changes, weigh your options.
Unfortunately, pursuing legal action against a company may have a negative impact on your career.
Try consulting an employment attorney to find out your options if you decide to become a whistle-blower while at the company or after you leave.
You will likely need to take very specific actions to protect yourself.There are laws against retaliation and whistleblowing. , You may be stressed out at work because you realize you haven't had the appropriate training to do your job well or efficiently.
Or perhaps you are expected to do a certain amount of work during an unreasonably short time period.
Or perhaps you have no idea what the expectations are — there may be little or no direction, leaving you confused about what needs to get done.
A lack of communication can often turn a workplace toxic.
If employees rarely feel like they know what is going on or are the last to hear about decisions that have been made, discuss solutions with your management.A log book, in which new information is available for employees to read at the start of each shift, or daily or weekly meetings to inform employees of any changes could potentially help improve communication.
Ask your boss about receiving additional training or if you can sit down and review the company's objectives. , Some jobs, like being a first responder or working in an emergency room, are inherently stressful.
Ask yourself if your job is, by its nature, stressful.
If that's the case, ask yourself if you are willing to live with that.
If so, take measures to learn to deal with stress in healthy, constructive ways so that it doesn't interfere with your health and wellbeing.
About the Author
Steven Ellis
A passionate writer with expertise in hobbies topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: