Frustration and stress in the workplace can make people act crazy! Recently, an athletic director at a Brooklyn school, Marshall Tames, exploded when a safety agent didn’t have a key to open the gate, preventing Tames from leaving the school. The frustration got to Tames – and lead to Tames poking the safety agent in the eye and slapping her across her face. The safety agent suffered from minor injuries due to the attack.

When you are injured on the job due to another employee’s frustration or stress, your injuries may be covered under workers compensation. All work environments should have preventative strategies in place, however, to help employees relieve frustration and stress caused on the job. If frustration and stress are not managed well, it can lead to crazy acts of violence by individuals unable to hold it together any longer. Here are some tips for reducing burnout and stress in the workplace:

  • Decrease the size of your “to do” list – or consider changing roles in the organization to give you less responsibility and stress.
  • Give yourself time off and “me time” whenever you feel yourself unraveling. It will help you calm down and respond to situations more appropriately.
  • Get professional help if you’re unable to cope with frustration and stress on your own.

Left untreated, workplace burnout and stress can lead to physical illness, depression or feelings of emptiness, an increased chance of relying on drugs or alcohol to feel better, decreases in your performance, and compromised relationships.

To prevent workplace accidents from stress or in extreme cases, violence acts, all employees should be given the opportunity to learn how to manage their feelings in a healthy manner.