Working in a physically or psychologically demanding job, working long hours or not feeling qualified for the tasks given to us can increase the pressure.

For the employee. The first thing to do is toanalyze the situation, argues Camillo Zacchia. The employee must determine if he is really overloaded or if it is the way of managing his work that is deficient. Some questions to ask yourself: Are my quality criteria too high? Do I have difficulty refusing an additional or unforeseen task? Am I being too harsh on myself?

“Compare your performance to that of your colleagues in a position similar to yours. Use objective measures, such as the number of sales, cases settled or patients treated, ”suggests Camillo Zacchia.

“See the stages rather than the mountain,” suggests Nicolas Chevrier. At the very start of an ambitious project, he proposes to break up his work in blocks, or sub-objectives. If, over time, we do not succeed, we reassess the work and discuss it with his supervisor. Also, avoid unnecessary dramatization. “It’s unrealistic to imagine that the company will fire us if we do not meet the original goal.”

For the employer. The solution isn’t always to hire new people, experts say. Employers often forget toassess the workload. Jean-Pierre Brun stresses the importance of employee collaboration in this process: “If the employee participates in the evaluation of his position, he will better accept the quantity of work, even if it remains important. “

Enjoying autonomy in one’s work means having the possibility of expressing one’s opinion on the decisions which concern our work and the manner of accomplishing it. Having opportunities to use your skills and develop new ones is another important factor.

For the employee. First of all, Camillo Zacchia advises clarify its role with his boss to better understand his freedom of action. If, despite everything, you feel that you do not have enough latitude in your work, here is a way to talk to your employer, as Camillo Zacchia suggests: “I enjoy working with you, but I sometimes the impression that you want the work to be done your way. It slows me down, because I hesitate too much. I would function better if you gave me more freedom. He insists on the importance of letting the frustration pass before knocking on his boss’s door.

Feeling constantly watched can indeed be stressful. In front of a boss who demands a right of scrutiny over everything, Nicolas Chevrier proposes, for his part, to meet his demands. “Keep him very up to date with the progress of projects. It can help establish a bond of trust. »

For the employer. “Learn to have confidence in your employees and to delegate », Says Jean-Pierre Brun. Not just the tasks, but some of the power that comes with it, he adds. Angelo Soares agrees. He adds that the micromanagement is an outdated method. “It’s by setting goals with employees and giving them the resources to achieve them that they will be most productive. “

Recognition encompasses all marks of appreciation (respect, encouragement, possibility of advancement in the company, participation in decisions, salary increase, etc.) which reinforce the feeling that our work and our presence are fully appreciated. An important fuel.

For the employee. Since recognition comes mostly from others, the power to make a difference is limited. However, here are a few tips.

It is important to realize that each boss expresses recognition in a different way, argues Camillo Zacchia. “Some bosses are less demonstrative. However, this does not mean that they value their employees less. The main thing is to feel the sincerity of the message He says.

You can also practice what Nicolas Chevrier calls recognition training. How? ‘Or’ What? By getting into the habit of telling your boss that the goal has been reached. “He then gets used to seeing and recognizing the effectiveness of the employee,” he says. Also, knowing how to recognize our successes and our contribution to the success of a company is important, believes Nicolas Chevrier. Thus, we depend less on the gaze of others to value ourselves.

For the employer. The annual appraisal and salary increase, although important, are insufficient measures to motivate its employees on a daily basis. “The first request of employees is to receive a Hello in the morning and a please for their good work, ”explains Jean-Pierre Brun. “Also, focus on recognition from individual to individual rather than public recognition, within the framework of galas for example, where the” employees of the year “are rewarded”, he adds. At last, to be present to his employees to help them and to know what they are doing is a much appreciated mark of recognition, according to him, in addition to being profitable for the company.

Stress, anxiety and sometimes depression are possible consequences of persistent conflicts. Communication between team members takes on its full value here.

For the employee. Avoid accumulating frustrations and plan moments for openly discuss with the person concerned is the first piece of advice Camillo Zacchia offers. “Without criticizing everything that disturbs us in others, if we do not feel respected or listened to and that harms our work, it is important to talk about it”, he argues. If, for example, a colleague’s music distracts us, we take an opportunity to talk to him about it, avoiding an accusatory tone. Mutual adjustments are usually possible, but certain personality types are less compatible. “Sometimes we just have to recognize that it is a professional relationship,” says Camillo Zacchia. We don’t have to love each other among colleagues, which doesn’t prevent us from working well together. “

For the employer. “First of all, remember that, unfortunately, time does not help matters,” says Jean-Pierre Brun. In other words, avoid playing ostrich and adjust irritants et conflicts as soon as possible. “Bosses tell me that they wait until they are more comfortable with a conflict before acting. This only pushes the problem away, because the discomfort will persist, which is quite normal ”. He suggests doing the following exercise: identifying the “hot spots” in the organization and, if necessary, seeking the help of a mediator.

To improve the quality of human relations, Angelo Soares suggests giving particular importance to interpersonal skills when recruiting employees. And why not offer training on communication?

Clearly defined role would reduce absenteeism and lateness, according to US study in seven workplaces⁶.

For the employee. Clarifying your responsibilities with your employer is the first step. “Having said that, we must realize that some positions are difficult to clarify,” says Camillo Zacchia. Indeed, the requirements of certain types of jobs change very quickly (IT, communications, etc.). In this case, the employee then has the choice: either he accepts this situation by betting on the fact that his work is appreciated, or he finds a position better suited to his needs.

For the employer. “Both managers and employees need to understand that it’s impossible to describe every aspect of a job from A to Z,” says Angelo Soares. Thus, there will always be a time lag between the work prescribed and the work actually performed. Which is good, because it creates a lot of creativity and autonomy so that the work goes well. “The main thing is that the employee has a clear idea its goals of work, ”he explains.

The feeling of injustice creates stress and can generate conflict. A competitive workplace provides fertile ground for this kind of reaction.

For the employee. According to Nicolas Chevrier, the best way is totackle the problem with his superior. “It’s often a question of miscommunication or a lack of information,” he adds. The more transparency there is in management, the more employees will be able to adjust their perceptions to reality. “

For the employer. “Without completely eliminating privileges, use them sparingly,” advises Jean-Pierre Brun. You must do the right thing distinction between la recognition and privileges. As with any privilege, the employee will expect it to happen again. In addition, Jean-Pierre Brun advises to involve workers in making decisions that affect them and taking their input into account. “Often, employees find it unfair that they are not consulted on an issue that affects them, because they are the experts. “

About 60% of Canadian employees say they experience a significant work-life imbalance, according to large Health Canada study⁷. According to the results, they are 13 times more likely to consider quitting their current job than others because they find their employer’s expectations unrealistic.

For the employee. Workaholics would benefit from knowing how to drop out. For example, a sensible use of technological tools who connect us around the clock to work would be a first step in the right direction. Cellphones, laptops, handheld mobile devices (BlackBerry) can indeed become traps. “People feel compelled to respond quickly, for fear of losing a customer,” remarks Nicolas Chevrier. However, most of the time, the customer understands that we cannot answer all of their requests within the hour! “. Generally, a business can afford to lose a few customers without putting itself at risk. “Working overtime isn’t bad in itself. The important thing is that it remains a choice, ”he says.

Some employees do not bring home work, but ruminate thoughts work-related. They may feel guilty for not doing more. “Once you realize these thoughts, remember that you have already fulfilled your goal for the day,” suggests Nicolas Chevrier. Our relationship with work, as with food, can become addictive. “Sometimes I want a second serving, but I know my health will eventually suffer if I succumb to the temptation,” he says.

For the employer. An employer who adopts human resources management taking into account the context of his employees’ life saves a lot, says Angelo Soares. “If you invest in the well-being of your employees who have family responsibilities by creating, for example, a daycare center and by offering flexibility in schedules, the benefits will be multiple”, he defends. Organizations that make this choice have employees who are more motivated, healthier, less concerned, less stressed and more grateful to their employers. The absenteeism rate in these companies is decreasing. They realize considerable savings on insurance premiums and legal fees. In addition, the recruitment and retention of employees is greatly facilitated. “In short, everything runs in a simpler way. Companies that have understood this are crumbling under job applications, ”he adds.

You can feel that you don’t realize yourself through your work⁸. Sometimes we ask ourselves the following questions: is my work having the impact I want in society? Does it hurt my values? Everything will depend on the role that we give to work in our life.

For the employee If we have the luxury of being able to choose a job that brings us more satisfaction, so much the better. Otherwise, you can look for that satisfaction elsewhere in your life. “For my part, I try to find un job that satisfies me as much as possible, while recognizing that I can also be fulfilled by the rest of my life, ”says Camillo Zacchia.

For the employer. All brands of recognition help employees find meaning in their work. “Tell your employees, in a sincere way, that you appreciate their presence,” advises Angelo Soares. It can change everything! A very simple example, but not so trivial: knowing them by name. But above all, he says, the listen. “Several avenues of solutions for organizational problems go through active listening to employees on the part of employers. It is enough to have an open ear. “