Stress Management

While reading to remain current on recent research and trends, Employee Relations Coordinator Dave March noticed two interesting statistics: $(1)$ stress costs the U$.$S$.$ economy $$300$ billion per year in absenteeism$,$ lost productivity, and increased health care costs and $(2)$ a third of U$.$S$.$ workers forfeit $4$ of $14$ vacation days each year by not taking them. The two statistics seemed related: perhaps part of the reason for employees$$ stress might be too little time off to refresh and renew themselves. How might this information apply to eGS?

Dave brought it up at an HR staff meeting. "eGS executives take the issue of stress quite seriously because past research has demonstrated stress$$s impact on memory, concentration, and creativity that are all vital for the type of knowledge$-$based service work we perform at eGS," offered CHRO Marcia Jackson.

Training Coordinator Allen Selby added, $"$In addition, studies have demonstrated stress interferes with interpersonal communication and collaboration since people tend to become more emotionally volatile, irritable, and conflict$-$prone when stressed." $$My proposals on Work$/$life Balance have been directed toward helping employees reduce stress due to commuting, business travel, and worrying about their children, but eGS$$s policy on time off, including vacation, might need revisiting,$$ Marcia acknowledged.

After the meeting Marcia asked your team to take on the project of considering if eGS needs to do more to reduce stress in order to improve KPIs and BRs$,$ and if so$,$ what should