Most organizations have no idea just how much employee stress costs them each year. With research implicating stress in 60 percent to 90 percent of medical problems, companies cannot afford to ignore the huge health-care expense employee stress creates. Although the relationship between stress and health care costs has received considerable attention, the true price tag is far greater than health care costs alone.
Studies show that stress adds to the cost of doing business in a number of ways.
In this article, we will explore the depth and breadth to which employee productivity and well-being is compromised by stress. To paint a complete picture of how stress costs organizations would require a far longer article than space permits, but we will address some of the most serious consequences of employee stress. A recent study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion found that workers experiencing high stress were over two times more likely to be absent more than five times per year. Lost productivity and replacement costs make absenteeism a costly consequence. Workers Compensation Claims Stress-related claims have skyrocketed.