Disengagement

A study in Australia found that 16% of depression cases in the workplace are caused by work stress. In contrast, a US Department of Health study reported that 70% of employee mental and physical complaints were related to workplace stress.

While a Gallup study shows that only 35% of managers are engaged, with 51% disengaged and 14% "actively" disengaged. The high stress levels in the workplace have implications for safety, and managers play a crucial role in managing day-to-day workplace activities and ensuring worker protection.

Executives are investing resources to improve worker engagement, as engaged workers are known to perform better, be more dedicated, and show better safety performance. However, many managers fall into traps that can lead to worker disengagement, including vague language, offering only phantom responsibilities, micromanagement, poor prioritization, screening training to reduce workers' sense of control, selecting the wrong workers to spearhead efforts, creating pushback to participation, and fearing engaged workers who may challenge managerial decisions, take up more time, and even be successful.

To address this, executives need to focus on creating an environment that fosters worker engagement and encourages workers to take an active role in the workplace. This can include providing clear communication, giving workers actual responsibilities, avoiding micromanagement, prioritizing worker suggestions, providing relevant training, selecting workers based on merit, and promoting participation. By creating a supportive and empowering work environment, executives can help workers overcome stress and increase overall job satisfaction.