Companies spend significant resources on practices that help their employees cope with stress so…

Companies spend significant resources on practices that help
their employees cope with stress so that they can be healthy and productive. In
fact, approximately 40 percent of all large companies in the United States
spend more than $200,000 on programs that promote employee health and wellness,
and nearly one-quarter of these companies spend a million dollars or more.
Humana has made significant investments in the health of its employees. Its
Freewheelin’ program, which allows employees to check out bicycles for free
from stations located throughout the city, is intended to encourage
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Companies spend significant resources on practices that help
their employees cope with stress so that they can be healthy and productive. In
fact, approximately 40 percent of all large companies in the United States
spend more than $200,000 on programs that promote employee health and wellness,
and nearly one-quarter of these companies spend a million dollars or more.
Humana has made significant investments in the health of its employees. Its
Freewheelin’ program, which allows employees to check out bicycles for free
from stations located throughout the city, is intended to encourage employees
to engage in healthier behaviors on a day-to-day basis. The assumption is that
once employees experience the joy and freedom of pedaling to a midday meeting
across town, they’ll be less likely to use their cars, making biking a normal
part of their daily routine. This new healthy habit should then result in a
reduction of the illnesses associated with stress and physical inactivity. As
described on the Freewheelin’ Web site, 10 minutes of biking a day can reduce
depression and improve mood, and 30 minutes per day can cut the risk of heart
disease and strokes by 50 percent.

Humana’s Freewheelin’ program seems to make a lot of sense,
but are programs like this the perfect solution to help employees stay healthy
and cope with the stress they face at work and at home? One potential issue is
the cost of setting up and maintaining the program, which may be prohibitive
for smaller companies. Beyond the cost of the bike stations, bikes, and
helmets, there’s a surprising amount of costly technology involved.97 For
example, the program uses ID cards and computers to track each user’s distance
traveled, calories burned, and carbon footprint. Users also have Freewheelin’
Web pages where they can post their favorite routes and connect with other
users. Another potential drawback is the reactions of employees who do not, or
cannot, ride bicycles. Although about half of the eligible employees signed up
for the program when it was first offered, only 28 percent ever checked out a
bike. How might the other 72 percent feel knowing that Humana has invested so
much money in a program that has no direct value to them? Might there be
backlash among employees who feel the resources could have been spent on
programs that would benefit employees more equally?

a. In what ways does Humana’s Freewheelin’ program influence
the various parts of the stress process?

b. Describe how employees might use the Freewheelin’ program
in the coping process. How might using this program as a coping mechanism have
both positive and negative consequences?

c. Do you believe that backlash among employees who do not
use the program is a serious issue? Why or why not? What could be done to
mitigate this issue?

Q48

The purpose of this exercise is to explore ways of managing
stress to reduce strain. This exercise uses groups, so your instructor will
either assign you to a group or ask you to create your own group. The exercise
has the following steps:

a. One method of managing stress is finding a way to reduce
the hindrance stressors encountered on the job. In your group, describe the
hindrance stressors that you currently are experiencing. Each student should
describe the two to three most important stressors following the chart below.
Other students should then offer strategies for reducing or alleviating the
stressors.

b. Another method of managing stress is to improve work–life
balance. The circle below represents how “waking hours” are divided among five
types of activities: school, work, personal relaxation, time with friends, and
time with family. Draw two versions of your own circle: your waking hours as
they currently are, and your waking hours as you wish them to be. Other
students should then offer strategies for making the necessary life changes.

c. A third method of managing stress is improving
hardiness—a sort of mental and physical health that can act as a buffer,
preventing stress from resulting in strain. The table below lists a number of
questions that can help diagnose your hardiness. Discuss your answers for each
question, then with the help of other students, brainstorm ways to increase
that hardiness factor.

d. Class discussion (whether in groups or as a class) should
center on two issues. First, many of the stress-managing factors, especially in
Steps 2 and 3, take up precious time. Does this make them an ineffective
strategy for managing stress? Why or why not? Second, consider your Type A
score in the OB Assessments for this chapter. If you are high on Type A, does
that make these strategies more or less important?