A RESEARCH PROJECT ON

SUBMITTED TO: MRS. MUNMUN MOHANTY PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

N.L. DALMIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES & RESEARCH

SUBMITTED BY:DEEPIKA PARMANAND AMESAR

STUDENT OF N.L.DALMIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES & RESEARCH

GUIDED BY: MRS. MUNMUN MOHANTY - PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

6/26/2010

A RESEARCH PROJECT ON

STRESS MANAGEMENTFOR

PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

PREFACE

During the past decade, the banking sector had under gone rapid and striking changes like policy changes due to globalization and liberalization, increased competition due to the entrance of more private sector banks, downsizing, introduction of new technologies, etc. Due to these changes, the employees in the banking sector are experiencing a high level of stress. The advent of technological revolution in all walks of life coupled with globalization, privatization policies has drastically changed conventional patterns in all sectors. The banking sector is of no exemption. The 1990s saw radical policy changes with regarding to fiscal deficit and structural changes in India so as to prepare her to cope with the new economic world order. Globalization and privatization led policies compelled the banking sector to reform and adjust to have a competitive edge to cope with multinationals led environment. The advent of technological changes, especially extensive use of computers in the sector has changed the work patterns of the bank employees and has made it inevitable to downsize the work force in the sector. The implications of the above said transformations have affected the social, economical and psychological domains of the bank employees and their relations. Evidence from existing literature states that more than 60% of the bank employees have one or other problem directly or indirectly related to these drastic changes. Along with other sectors the banking sector is also leaning towards the policy of appointing contract labor & various compulsive as well as rewarding options such as VRS, etc. All the factors discussed above are prospective attributes to cause occupational stress and related disorders among the employees.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTALDATE JUNE 26, 2010Mr. B.G.Pinto

Senior Manager for HRD

Subject: Presentation of Report on Stress Management

Respected Sir,

Here is my report on Stress Management as a part of my Summer Training project. This report was prepared according to your authorization letter dated May 03, 2010.

Working on this subject has been an exciting learning experience for me. The topics Ive covered in this study are Work Stress for which an employee survey was taken, suggestions from employees & recommendations on how to help employees overcome their stress. As was expected employees do suffer from work overload & pressure. Necessary measures to help them have been incorporated in the report.I hope that this study is helpful to you in your continuous endeavor to make working an enjoyable experience for the employees. I am grateful to you for all the cooperation you have extended to me in this important study. I want to extend my special gratitude to my Project Guide, Mrs. Munmun Mohanty. I am also thankful to all the employees for helping me in my study.

Yours sincerely,

Deepika Parmanand Amesar.TABLE OF CONTENTS2PREFACE

3LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

5EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

7CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK & LITERATURE REVIEW

7INTRODUCTION TO STRESS

9EXTREME PRODUCTS OF STRESS

9GOOD STRESS v/s BAD STRESS:

11GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME

12SEVERITY OF STRESS:

13WORKPLACE STRESS:

15ROLE STRESS IN THE NEW AGE WOMAN:

17ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT

19STRESS VULNERABILITY

20HOW TO IDENTIFY A STRESSED EMPLOYEE

22STRESS MANAGEMENT

23WHAT THE EMPLOYERS NEED TO DO TO HELP THE EMPLOYEES OVERCOME WORK STRESS?

25STRESS MANAGEMENT SCENARIO IN INDIA

27STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

31WHAT CAN THE EMPLOYEES DO TO MAKE THEIR WORK MORE ENJOYABLE?

34ABOUT PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

41RESEARCH

46DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

54LIMITATIONS OF THE SURVEY

55WHAT DO THE EMPLOYEES FEEL?

57STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

62BIBLIOGRAPHY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe productivity of the work force is the most decisive factor as far as the success of an organization is concerned. This productivity is in turn dependent on the psychosocial well-being of the employees. In an age of highly dynamic and competitive world, man is exposed to all kinds of stressors that can affect him on all realms of life. The growing importance of interventional strategies is felt more at organizational level. The increasing competition in the Banking Industry which was the result of opening up of the economy has put forth various challenges for the Bank employees. In view of the changing face of the Indian Banking Industry & the challenges associated with the changes that come about as new technologies are being used in this field, stress has become a common problem in the Banking Industry.This particular research was intended to study the quantum of stress the employees at Punjab National Bank face & to suggest them various ways in which they can cope with it & make their work more enjoyable.This study begins with the review of different terminologies associated with stress & the various strategies adopted across sectors to help employees deal with work stress. A research was then conducted at Punjab National Bank to study the level of stress the employees face & what they feel about their work environment. A representative sample was taken for this research. Some of the employees have also voiced their opinions regarding Stress Management at their workplace.

Simple graphs & charts have been used to display the results of this questionnaire survey. The results have been as expected. Bank jobs in general have been considered to be very monotonous as was reflected in the survey results. The results indicate that employees in general go through a moderate level of work stress & work overload. From the results it can be concluded that the employees want their work to be more exciting & less monotonous. Their suggestions have also been incorporated in this study. Various recommendations have also been proposed for the management as well as the employees to make the organizational atmosphere stress free. Some of these recommendations include having Stress management workshops & centers, Dance therapy, Humor Clubs, allowing Sabbaticals, et al.

Finally it is important to remember that stress is not a situation. It is an individual perception. The techniques suggested for Stress Management in this study are plentiful. No one can do it all, so choose one or two of the suggestions & incorporate it gradually into daily life. Theres no need to do all the steps; thats too stressful! The simple ones, like laughing, talking to a friend or engaging in short bursts of exercise are the easiest to follow. These basic strategies in Stress Management, done over time, can significantly help in the reduction of stress. Fun ways to relieve stress are essential to basic survival in a world where adults are on the run from the moment they arise in the morning until they turn off the light at night. While long term stress reduction requires behavioral modifications, there are fun activities that can be engaged in on a semi-regular basis to relieve stress that has built up over time. Like an ugly bird of prey, tension hovers over millions

of people, ready to swoop down on its victims

Tension, in fact is probably one of the greatest

menaces the civilized world must face these days. INDIRA DEVICONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK & LITERATURE REVIEWINTRODUCTION TO STRESSA lot of research has been conducted into stress over the last hundred years. Some of the theories behind it are now settled and accepted; others are still being researched and debated. During this time, there seems to have been something approaching open warfare between competing theories and definitions. Views have been passionately held and aggressively defended. What complicates this is that intuitively we all feel that we know what stress is, as it is something we have all experienced. A definition should therefore be obviousexcept that it is not.

STRESS- HISTORY & USAGE:

The term stress had none of its contemporary connotations before the 1950s. It is a form of the Middle English destresse, derived via Old French from the Latin stringere, to draw tight.

It had long been in use in physics to refer to the internal distribution of a force exerted on a material body, resulting in strain. In the 1920s & 1930s, the term was occasionally being used in psychological circles to refer to a mental strain or unwelcome happening, & by advocates of holistic medicine to refer to a harmful environmental agent that could cause illness. Walter Cannon used it in 1934 to refer to external factors that disrupted what he called homeostasis. The novel usage arose out of Hans Selyes 1930 experiments. He started to use the term to refer not just to the agent but to the state of the organism as it responded & adapted to the environment. His theories of a universal non specific stress response attracted great interest & contention in academic physiology & he undertook extensive research programs & publication efforts. The psychological uses of stress are frequently metaphorical rather than literal, used as a catch-all for perceived difficulties in life. It also became a euphemism, a way of referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being explicitly confessional, just "stressed out". It covers a huge range of phenomena from mild irritation to the kind of severe problems that might result in a real breakdown of health. In popular usage almost any event or situation between these extremes could be described as stressful. .DEFINITION:The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to Richard S Lazarus) is that Stress is a condition or a feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize. In short, it's what we feel when we think we've lost control of events. The stress response inside us is therefore part instinct and part to do with the way we think.STRESS IN BIOLOGICAL TERMS

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It refers to the inability of a human or animal body to respond.TYPICAL NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:

Ulcers Emotional instability Excessive smoking

Digestive problems Moodiness

Abuse of alcohol or drugs Headaches Nervousness & tension Absenteeism

High blood pressure Chronic worry Aggression Sleep disruption Depression Safety problems Burnout Performance problemsEXTREME PRODUCTS OF STRESS

BURNOUT:

According to the theory developed by Hans Selye, the human body cannot instantly rebuild its ability to cope with stress once its depleted. As a result, people become physically & psychologically weakened from trying to combat it. This condition is called Burnout a situation in which employees are emotionally exhausted, become detached from their clients & their work, & feel unable to accomplish their goals. When workers become burned out, they are more likely to complain, to attribute their errors to others,& to be highly irritable. The alienation they feel drives many of them to think about leaving their jobs, to seek out opportunities to become trained for new careers, & actually to quit. In addition to higher turnover, burnout also leads to increased absenteeism & decreased quality & quantity of job performance.

TRAUMA:

Another severe product of stress, called Trauma, occurs following a major threat to ones security. The event could be a natural disaster, an organizational crisis, dramatic employee abuse by the employer, or personal job loss. Three types of trauma that have achieved notoriety in recent years are workplace trauma, layoff survivors sickness & post traumatic stress disorder.GOOD STRESS v/s BAD STRESS:Stress has often been misunderstood to be negative, with few people acknowledging the importance and usefulness of positive stress. In our everyday lives, stress is everywhere and definitely unavoidable; hence our emphasis should be on differentiating between what is good stress, and what is bad. This will help us to learn to cope with negative stress, and harness the power of positive stress to help us achieve more.

There are 4 main categories of stress, namely Eustress, distress, hyper stress and hypo stress. Negative stress can cause many physical and psychological problems, whilst positive stress can be very helpful for us. Heres how we differentiate between them.

EUSTRESS:

This is a positive form of stress, which prepares your mind and body for the imminent challenges that it has perceived. Eustress is a natural physical reaction by your body which increases blood flow to your muscles, resulting in a higher heart rate. Athletes before competition or perhaps a manager before a major presentation would do well with Eustress, allowing them to derive the inspiration and strength that is needed.

DISTRESS:We are familiar with this word, and know that it is a negative form of stress. This occurs when the mind and body is unable to cope with changes, and usually occurs when there are deviations from the norm. They can be categorized into acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is intense, but does not last for long. On the other hand, chronic stress persists over a long period of time.

Trigger events for distress can be a change in job scope or routine that the person is unable to handle or cope with.

HYPER STRESS:This is another form of negative stress that occurs when the individual is unable to cope with the workload. Examples include highly stressful jobs, which require longer working hours than the individual can handle. If you suspect that you are suffering from hyper stress, you are likely to have sudden emotional breakdowns over insignificant issues, the proverbial straws that broke the camels back. It is important for you to recognize that your body needs a break, or you may end up with severe and chronic physical and psychological reactions.

HYPO STRESS:Lastly, hypo stress occurs when a person has nothing to do with his time and feels constantly bored and unmotivated. This is due to an insufficient amount of stress; hence some stress is inevitable and helpful to us. Companies should avoid having workers who experience hypo stress as this will cause productivity and mindfulness to fall. If the job scope is boring and repetitive, it would be a good idea to implement some form of job rotation so that there is always something new to learn.GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME

Stress is how the body reacts to a stressor, real or imagined, a stimulus that causes stress. Acute stressors affect an organism in the short term; chronic stressors over the longer term.

Selye researched the effects of stress.

Alarm is the first stage. When the threat or stressor is identified or realized, the body's stress response is a state of alarm. During this stage adrenaline will be produced in order to bring about the fight-or-flight response. There is also some activation of the HPA axis, producing cortisol.

Resistance is the second stage. If the stressor persists, it becomes necessary to attempt some means of coping with the stress. Although the body begins to try to adapt to the strains or demands of the environment, the body cannot keep this up indefinitely, so its resources are gradually depleted.

Exhaustion is the third and final stage in the GAS model. At this point, all of the body's resources are eventually depleted and the body is unable to maintain normal function. The initial autonomic nervous system symptoms may reappear (sweating, raised heart rate etc.). If stage three is extended, long term damage may result as the capacity of glands, especially the adrenal gland, and the immune system is exhausted and function is impaired resulting in decomposition.

The result can manifest itself in obvious illnesses such as ulcers, depression, diabetes, trouble with the digestive system or even cardiovascular problems, along with other mental illnesses.SEVERITY OF STRESS:

The severity of stress is gauged by the degree of disruption in the human system that will occur if the individual fails to cope with the adjustive demand. For eg, lack of food over a sustained period is regarded as a severe stress because it causes serious disruption of both physiological and psychological functioning.FACTORS INFLUENCING SEVERITY OF STRESS:

A. Characteristics of the adjustive demand

a) Importance, duration and multiplicity of demands

b) Strength and equality of conflicting forces

c) Imminence of anticipated stress

d) Unfamiliarity or suddenness of the problem

B. Characteristics of the individual

a) Perception of the problem

b) Degree of threat

c) Stress tolerance of the individualBUILT-INPSYCHOLOGICAL COPING & DAMAGE REPAIR MECHANISMS:There appear to be a number of coping and damage-repair mechanisms built into the human system which operate on a psychological level. Among the more common and important of these mechanisms are the following:

Crying Talk it out Laughing it off Seeking Support[ Dreaming and nightmares

These Built-In reaction patterns may be used in varying degrees and combinations depending on the individual, the social setting, and the nature of the traumatic event which resulted in the psychological hurt or damage.WORKPLACE STRESS:Workplace stress is the harmful physical & emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between the job demands & capabilities, resources & needs of the worker. Stress is a prevalent & costly problem in todays workplace. Evidence suggests that stress is the major cause of turnover in organizationsProblems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health care utilization. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses.

CAUSES OF WORKPLACE STRESS:

Almost any job condition can cause stress, depending on an employees reaction to it. For example, one employee will accept a new work procedure & feel little or no stress, while another experiences overwhelming pressure from the same task. Part of the difference lays in each employees experiences, general outlooks, & expectations which are all internal factors. There are, however, a number of job conditions that frequently cause stress for employees like:i. Work overload & time deadlines out employees under pressure & lead to stress. Often these pressures arise from management, & a poor quality of management can cause stress.

ii. Role conflict & ambiguity are also related to stress. In situations of this type, people have different expectations of an employees activities on a job, so the employee does not know what to do & cannot meet all expectations. In addition, since the job often is poorly defined, the employee has no official model on which to depend.

iii. A further case of stress lies in difference between company values & ethical practices, as often reflected in the organizations culture, & employee ethics & values. Substantial differences can lead to significant mental stress as an effort is made to balance the requirements of both sets of values.iv. Some jobs produce more stress than others. Those which involve rotating shift work, machine-paced tasks, routine & repetitive work, or hazardous environments are associated with greater stress. Workers who spend many hours daily in front of computer screens also report high stress levels. Evidence also indicates that the sources of stress differ by organizational level. Executive stress may arise from the pressure for short-term financial results or the fear of a hostile take-over attempt. Middle managers may experience stress when their job security is threatened by news of impending corporate downsizings. Supervisory stressors include the pressures to increase quality & customer service, required attendance at numerous meetings, & responsibility for the work of others. Workers are more likely to experience the stressors of low status, lack of perceived control, resource shortages, & the demand for a large volume of error-free work.v. A general & widely recognized cause of stress is change of any type because it requires adaptation by employees. It tends to be especially stressful when it is major or unusual, such as temporary layoff or transfer. A related source of stress that affects many employees is worry over their financial well-being. This situation can arise when cost-saving technology is introduced, contract negotiations begin, or the firms financial performance suffers.vi. Another cause of stress is frustration. It is a result of a motivation (drive) being blocked to prevent one from reaching a desired goal. When you feel that your goal may not be reached you may become irritable, develop an uneasy feeling in our stomach, or have some other reaction. These reactions to frustration are known as defense mechanisms because you are trying to defend yourself form the psychological effects of the blocked goal. One of the most common reactions to frustration is aggression. Additional reactions to frustration include apathy, withdrawal, regression, fixation, physical disorders, & substitute goals.

Physiological reactions to stress can have consequences for health over time. Researchers have been studying how stress affects the cardiovascular system, as well as how work stress can lead to hypertension & coronary artery disease.

There are 4 main physiological reactions to stress:

Blood is shunted to the brain & large muscle groups, & away from extremities, skin, & organs that are not currently serving the body.

An area near the brain system, known as the reticular activating system, goes to work, causing a state of keen alertness as well as sharpening of hearing & vision.

Energy providing compounds of glucose & fatty acids are released into the bloodstream.

The immune & digestive systems are temporarily shut down.vii. Some research suggests that it is the little things, called hassles, rather than major life crises, that produce frustration. Hassles are conditions of daily living that are perceived to threaten ones well-being. They have been found to be related to both symptoms of ill-health & levels of absenteeism. The most frequent hassles include having too many things to do, losing items, being interrupted, & having to do unchallenging work. Some of the hassles with the greatest average severity are related to either the job or the employees environment, such as dealing with problems of ageing parents, facing prejudice & discrimination, & having insufficient personal energy. It is possible that none of these hassles alone will cause the average person to become frustrated. However, the cumulative effects of multiple hassles may result in a feeling of unwelcome stress.

ROLE STRESS IN THE NEW AGE WOMAN:

An increasing number of women are becoming career conscious and professional in their outlook. Earlier women preferred jobs like nursing, medicine, clerical but now the number of women executives is on the increase. The reasons for such a change are: increase in women's education, changing socio-cultural values, increasing awareness and consciousness in women and the rise in economic independence. Women are in a dilemma facing queries regarding self and her rights. Her inner conflict keeps on puzzling her regarding existence in reality and what people talk about (Gracia, June, 2005). Balancing work and family frequently means irregular work hours for women professionals leading to stress and various problems related to it (Snell, 2004). The working woman, regardless of whether she is married or single, faces higher stress levels. This is not so much in the work place but at home also. She may feel guilty for leaving her children while she works; this not only increases her stress but also reduces her job satisfaction.She may face overload of work, responsibility, and inadequate authority, non-cooperation from subordinates, hostile boss, poor working conditions and conflicts in the organization. Social Support is the physical and emotional comfort given by our family, friends, co-workers and others. Maintaining a healthy social support network is hard work and something that requires ongoing effort over time. People are emotionally supportive when they tell us that they care about us and think well of us. It is important to have at least one close friend. (Cohen, S.,2000) also tells us that social support does the best job of protecting us from the effects of stress when we believe that emotional support is easy to come by and we have at least one person we can confide in.

The key stressors which affect maximum number of women professionals are Poor Peer Relations, Intrinsic Impoverishment and Under-participation. This is because women are becoming more and more career conscious, they want to accept challenges, improve performance and want to become socially and economically independent. If the women professionals want to be accepted as efficient homemakers as well as employees, they have to make use of effective stress management techniques, use appropriate coping patterns, must be optimistic and have a positive attitude in life.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT

Organizational conflict is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests between people working together. Conflict takes many forms in organizations. There is the inevitable clash between formal authority and power and those individuals and groups affected. There are disputes over how revenues should be divided, how the work should be done and how long and hard people should work. There are jurisdictional disagreements among individuals, departments, and between unions and management. There are subtler forms of conflict involving rivalries, jealousies, personality clashes, role definitions, and struggles for power.ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT THEORIES:Maturity-immaturity theory

According to Maslow, Argyris, McGregor, Rogers, and other writers of the so-called growth schools, there is a basic tendency in the development of the human personality toward self-fulfillment, or self-actualization. This implies that as an individual matures, he wants to be given more responsibility, broader horizons, and the opportunity to develop his personal potential. This process is interrupted whenever a person's environment fails to encourage and nurture these desires.

Formal organizations are rational structures that, based on their assumption of emotions, feelings, and irrationality as human weaknesses, try to replace individual control with institutional control. Thus the principle of task specialization is seen as a device that simplifies tasks for the sake of efficiency. As a consequence, however, it uses only a fraction of a person's capacity and ability. The principle of chain of command centralizes authority but makes the individual more dependent on his superiors. The principle of normal span of control, which assigns a maximum of six or seven subordinates to report to the chief executive, reduces the number of individuals reporting to the head of the organization or to the manager of any subunit. Although this simplifies the job of control for the manager, it also creates more intensive surveillance of the subordinate, and therefore permits him less freedom to control himself.

Under such conditions, subordinates are bound to find themselves in conflict with the formal organization, and sometimes with each other. They advance up the narrowing hierarchy where jobs get fewer, and "fewer" implies competing with others for the decreasing number of openings. Task specialization tends to focus the subordinate's attention on his own narrow function and divert him from thinking about the organization as a whole. This effect increases the need for coordination and leads to a circular process of increasing the dependence on the leader. They may respond to organizational pressures and threats by defensive reactions such as aggression against their supervisors and co-workers, fixated behavior or apathy, compromise and gamesmanship, or psychological withdrawal and daydreaming. All of these defense mechanisms reduce a person's potential for creative, constructive activity on the job. Finally, employees may organize unions or unsanctioned informal groups whose norms of behavior are opposed to many of the organization's goals. As a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, all of these reactions to the constraints of the formal organization merely serve to reinforce and strengthen them.The conflict between the formal organization and the individual will continue to exist wherever managers remain ignorant of its causes or wherever the organizational structure and the leadership style are allowed to become inconsistent with the legitimate needs of the psychologically healthy individual. Everyone recognizes the necessity for order and control in organizations. Those of us who enter management, however, must learn to recognize in addition that order and control can be achieved only at the expense of individual freedom. Subordinates adapt to these conditions in the organization in several ways. In the extreme, they may find the situation intolerable and leave the organization. Or they may strive to advance to positions of higher authority, to adopt the controlling style they are trying to escape.STRESS VULNERABILITY

Two major factors help determine how stress will affect employee performance differently across similar jobs. Worker vulnerability to stress is a function of both internal (organizational) & external (non work) stressors. One internal factor is an employees STRESS THRESHOLD the level of stressors (frequency & magnitude) that the person can tolerate before negative feelings of stress occur & adversely affect performance. Some people have a low threshold, & the stress of even relatively small changes or disruptions in their work routines causes a reduction in performance. Others have a higher threshold, staying cool, calm, & productive longer under the same conditions. This response may stem partly from their experience & confidence in their ability to cope. A higher stress threshold helps prevent lowered performance unless a stressor is major or prolonged.

The second internal factor affecting employee stress is the amount of PERCEIVED CONTROL they have over their work & working conditions. Employees who have a substantial degree of independence, autonomy, & freedom to make decisions seem to handle work pressures better. Since two employees may have the same actual control & flexibility, it is clearly their relative perception of freedom that counts. Managers can respond to this need for control through a variety of measures such as allowing flexible work schedules, enriching jobs, placing individuals on self managing teams, or empowering employees by using participative leadership styles.Stress vulnerability is often related to Type A & Type B characteristics

TYPE A PEOPLETYPE B PEOPLE

Aggressive & competitive

Set high standards

Are impatient with themselves & others

Thrive under constant time pressures

Make excessive demands on themselves

Because of the constant stress they are more prone to physical ailments related to stress, such as heart attacks.

More relaxed & easy going

Accept situations & work within them

Dont fight competitively

Relaxed regarding time pressures

Less prone to have problems associated with stress

Still can be highly productive by obtaining result in a different manner.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A STRESSED EMPLOYEE

It is vital for employers to identify stress in the workplace and one of the simplest ways to pinpoint problems is to audit employees. Identifying stress, and the potential for it to occur, is key to keeping employees healthy and productive and safeguarding an organization from stress-related tribunals.

Running a stress audit can help pinpoint issues. The staff must be required to carry out an assessment of the risks to the health and safety of employees arising from workplace activities.

One of the simplest ways to audit stress is to ask employees. This can be done with the help of a regular employee questionnaire asking employees whether they enjoy their work. This will help to identify any potential problems. It also creates an open culture so employees feel they can approach the higher authorities in the organization for support if they are stressed.

Monitoring sickness absence can also help employers identify any problems. Absence notification systems can make a significant difference at a small cost. Such systems can help determine at an early stage whether an employee would benefit from further assistance. Additionally the management information can, through consistent reporting, help identify trends, such as high absence in a department, which could warrant further investigation.

Other management information can also help in identifying stress hot spots, such as work and exit interviews and reports from occupational health and an employee assistance program.

Stress awareness and training are also important. Employees have a duty of care to look after themselves and the managers can make this easier for them by training them to be aware of the symptoms of stress. This would also help in removing the stigma that can be attached to stress so employees feel able to support each other and ask for help early on. Line managers are in a good position to know of any personal problems employees are experiencing and, with the right training, to spot the signs of stress. This is particularly important as non-work related stress is one of the main causes of long-term absence.

What to look for

Making managers and employees aware of the changes in behavior that can be caused by stress can help them spot potential problems. Here are some of the early warning signs:

Reduction in the quality or quantity of work

Poor timekeeping

Changes in working hours, for instance staying late, working through lunch or taking more breaks

An increase in smoking - or taking up the habit

Indecisiveness

Tiredness

Increased sickness absence or more illnesses such as headaches, colds and nausea

Irritability levels

Tearfulness

Loss of sense of humor

Poor co-worker relationships

Health and Safety Executive management standards

The HSE has put together a series of management standards for work-related stress to help simplify stress risk assessments. These are designed to provide a benchmark that will enable an organization to monitor stress levels and create a more open culture in which employers and employees can tackle stress together.

The standards cover the main causes of stress in the workplace and relate to:

Demands - workloads, work patterns and work environment

Control - how much say the person has in the way they do their work

Support - encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organization,

Management and colleagues

Relationships - promoting positive working

Role - ensuring employees understand their role within the organization.

Change - how organizational change is managed and communicated

STRESS MANAGEMENT

A little stress (acute stress) can be good because it jumpstarts people to perform better and keep the immune system vigilant. For example, some people do well on deadline. However, when stress becomes chronic, it becomes unhealthy and saps our vitality. The people who are most vulnerable to stress addiction are victims of 'identity theft;' they have lost their personal power along the way to becoming a colleague, spouse, parent, etc. Another predisposing factor is emotional programming by parents, teachers and religious leaders to be good, self-sacrificing and giving people pleasers. People pleasers have plenty of parasites lined up for them. Suppressed and silenced, these people wonder why everyone is happy, except for them.

Stress is fueled by perception. 'Life is a series of recoveries.' Each time you manage a stressor, you raise your stress threshold to cope with the next stressor creating experience and empowerment. Stress management means preparing to reinterpret those negatives into optimistic resiliency with constant practice beginning with the little things.

Stress management is the need of the hour. However hard we try to go beyond a stress situation, life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring attitudes, we tend to overlook causes of stress and the conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling moments we often forget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly manageable and treatableLike "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management techniques are some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation response the body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released during the 'fight or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and fats, and restore the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted mind crave for looseness. Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and soothing situations without asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such situations.WHAT THE EMPLOYERS NEED TO DO TO HELP THE EMPLOYEES OVERCOME WORK STRESS?Managing employee morale and stress is important to your business. When your staff is unhappy, productivity decreases. As an employer, it is in your best interest to recognize how stress can affect each employee's productivity and overall demeanor at work. A person under stress can be irritable, hard to work with, and affect others ability to do their job. Addressing stress and providing forms of stress management to employees can drastically improve the quality of work you receive. To ensure that your business runs efficiently, it is worth spending time working on the backbone of it: Your workers. Morale and stress go hand-in-hand. Raising morale will decrease stress. This is why it's important to pay attention to how your personnel feel when they are at work and encourage positive relations in the office. As a manager you need to consider the following points while helping employees to deal with stress:Notice the Signs of StressPay attention to the employees to identify if they are stressed out. Employees who are stressed may have the following signs:

A sudden change in behavior

Begin conflicts with coworkers and executives

A decrease in productivity

An increase in calling out sick

Isolation

Complaints of illness (stomachaches, headaches, chronic colds, etc.) Take Action: Pull the Employee AsideIf you notice the signs of a stressed employee, ask the person to meet with you in your office. Do not approach the person in front of other employees. Let the stressed person know that youve noticed that he/she has not been feeling well and you want to help. Opening up a discussion on this subject invites the person to share what is really going on and how you can help. It may be as simple as relieving some of the employees duties or letting the person take a day off to recoup. Create a Plan with the Stressed EmployeeOnce youve identified what is stressing your employee, its important to create a plan to help him/her feel better and combat future stress. This is something you should do with your employee because each person deals with stress differently. Encourage the PlanOnce the plan is put into place, take some time to encourage your employee to follow it. Give the person a pep talk and remind him/her what to work on each day to relieve stress. Check in RegularlyAfter a couple of days or a week, meet with the employee again to identify whether your worker is feeling any less stressed. If not, reviewing the plan you two created to change it may help. Dealing with ResistanceIf you meet with an employee who seems stressed but denies it, there is not much more you can do. You can only help as much as the person wants to be helped. Let your worker know that you have an open door policy, meaning you are always available to discuss problems he/she has. It may also be helpful to hold a group meeting to discuss stress in general.

Dealing with Employee Stress in a Group SettingManaging employees in times of stress can also be done in a group setting in addition to individually. Learn about work related stress and stress management techniques that your workers can do while at work and at home. Schedule a meeting and make it mandatory. If you make it voluntary, some people (usually the ones who are most stressed) will forgo it even though they are the ones that need it the most. Lead by ExampleWhile helping your workers, make sure to keep your own stress in check. You will find it difficult to deal with others stress if you are trying to overcome it yourself. Find appropriate outlets for your own problems and practice stress management.

It is a good idea to determine factors that could motivate the employee in changing his or her attitude.

Next, identify new factors that may motivate the employee. This could be an area where the employee could be made to experience a sense of achievement. Secondly, the work of the employee should be recognized and appreciated and should also be rewarded.

With a little bit of planning and organizing, employers can completely alleviate the chances of employees facing the burnout syndrome. STRESS MANAGEMENT SCENARIO IN INDIA Stress and a poor work-life balance can really affect an employees well-being and, subsequently, his or her output. Thanks to much debate over this in corporate, HR & related circles this is now a well known fact.

But while companies around the world are mapping employee stress as a compulsory HR activity, the concept is only now gaining ground in India. Several organizations have come up with specialized tools like fun at work, specialized yoga and power naps to audit staff stressThere are several intensely specialized de-stress training sessions which contribute to seemingly age-beating performances that we see from, say, Sachin Tendulkar and Leander Paes. Executives, too, can benefit from such programs which will, in turn, improve their productivity. Dr. Vece Paes Fitness expert & Olympian

Corporate heads of the so-called best workplace companies are developing various ways to keep their employees in high spirits. As HR gurus begin to realize that money may not be enough to make an employee deliver his best, new concepts are being tried out to see how employees react and whether their satisfaction and happiness translates into growth and better bottom-line. Acclaris, a US-based KPO ranked one of the best ITeS workplace companies in India, has appointed a chief fun officer whose duty is to devise fun things for employees to do. The company claims this also helps retain employees Acclaris attrition rate is 12% compared to the industry average of 18-20%.The employees work for punishing hours and are constantly under productivity pressure. So some mental rejuvenation and a relaxed office environment are imperative for productivity. It can be little things like face painting, throwing softballs during sessions or employees staying back to play games in the office. The concept of holiday homes in PSUs and companies like ITC, HUL and Standard Chartered is also a big advantage. Philips India, on its part, conducts an Isha Yoga Inner Engineering Program specifically designed for employees. According to the company, this contributes immensely to individual and group excellence through productivity, work ethics and satisfaction. At Angel Broking, apart from regular health check-ups, employees suffering from emotional or intellectual stress can avail self-management programs. This encompasses some fundamental understanding about ownership, responsibility, change management etc. which also could be the primary reasons causing stress. IT major Wipro has started a campaign among employees, called fit for life. Cycling clubs have been formed as part of this initiative, and employees are encouraged to cycle within the campus; green clubs help de-stress through gardening, and music clubs allow employees to express themselves through performances. Nutrition and health camps have specialists providing guidance.STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

Some of the programs which are conducted to help employees deal with stress are summarized under-

STRESS MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS: Many employers are realizing the effects that stress has on their employees and are instituting stress management programs in the workplace. Some companies are bringing programs to their employees, such as the one offered by Work Life Balance, to teach employees and managers the skills they need to reduce and manage workplace stress. Through the program, employees and management learn the tools they need to lower stress levels, improve communication and increase company morale. A Stress Management and Relaxation Center

Another method of reducing stress in the workplace is instituting a stress management and relaxation center within the company building. A trained coordinator overseas the centers management and provides employees with individual consultations. After the coordinator meets with the employee and has the results of the individual stress assessment, specific types of stress management and relaxation techniques that would benefit the employee the most are identified and recommended.

HUMOR STRESS RELIEF AT THE WORKPLACEWhether it occurs as a result of down-time, team building activities, or humor stress relief in the workplace can result in greater productivity. While scheduling down time and team building training requires pre-planning, humor is something that can be introduced into potentially stressful workplace situations on a moment's notice. Sometimes having a good laugh on the job is a great way to control stress at work no matter what the situation. Since it's difficult to predict when stress levels are going to get out of control in the office, it's certainly a good idea to be prepared to utilize humor to defuse tense situations. It's essential that any attempts at workplace humor be appropriate for the environment. Jokes that may be offensive to your co-workers or clients should not be resorted to. It must be made sure that the humor used cannot be perceived as discriminatory at any way.

Benefits of Humor on the Job- Stress Relief

Improved Productivity

Job Satisfaction

INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERS:

Inspirational speakers can be used to boost employees and provide them with stress management techniques. They have the ability to address the issue to the employees as a whole and teach them to identify sources of stress and give options on how to reduce the source or eliminate it. Professional motivation speakers speak on topics like these regularly and have the ability to inspire employees to deal with stress in a positive manner and improve their situation.Inspirational speakers can be used in a variety of ways. It can be considered to have someone speak at a company meeting, holding a seminar, or having an employee event with professional motivation speakers who are knowledgeable on various business and self improvement topics.

MEDITATION & EXERCISE:People have claimed positive effects of meditation on the mind since the dawn of time, and for those who doubt its effect, recent scientific studies confirm that meditation can bring about emotional stability and a sense of peace.

There is a strong connection between exercise and stress control. The human body needs physical activity, and exercise is a powerful way to get a handle on stress. Exercise uplifts your mood to make you feel stronger, more confident, and able to relax. Even just ten minutes at a time of vigorous effort can be counted toward this total and will help reduce stress and improve mood.

The organizations can plan to arrange meditation & exercise programs at regular intervals, say, every weekend. Specialists & trainers can be called to the organizations for this purpose. Even simple breathing exercises or chanting mantra, walking activities or aerobics can go a long way in improving employee health. Listening to music is also another way to meditate. Exercise & meditation also help to improve diet, help bring a glow on the face & bring a general sense of well being.

DANCE:

Dancing vibrates the emotions & besides getting de stressed it helps the dancer to experience spiritual bliss. It is medically proven that Aerobics exercises are better than weight exercises, as besides working better on cardio vascular system of the body, they develop stamina, make body lean & trim and avoid any spine or joints injuries that may happen during weight training program. More over weight training is not for growing children and ladies keep away from the same.It is medically proven that music and dance are best de-stressing modes. It is a known fact that Dance & Music Develop personality and removes inhibitions of participants. The social aspect of the activity leads to less stress, depression and loneliness. Besides this dancing helps improve flexibility, strength, endurance, helps in cardiovascular conditioning & maintaining strong bones. It also gives a sense of social wellbeing.

The American National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)in their Journals have mentioned that dancing can:

Lower your risk of coronary heart disease

Decrease blood pressure

Help you manage your weight

Strengthen the bones of your legs and hips.Considering the many benefits that dancing provides the organizations can help their employees with stress management by organizing dance sessions at regular intervals. Besides being a fun get together activity these sessions will also help in reducing stress among the employees & make their job more enjoyable.

SABBATICALS:Some employers, recognizing the need for employees to escape, have created programs allowing sabbatical leaves to encourage stress relief & personal education. Most employees return emotionally refreshed, feel rewarded & valued by their employers, & often bring back new perspectives gained from readings & workshops. A side benefit sometimes reported is the cross-training that takes place among colleagues while one employee is on sabbatical. This side effect adds to organizational flexibility & raises employee competency & self esteem.

PERSONAL WELLNESS:

In general, there is a trend towards in-house programs of preventive maintenance for personal wellness that are based on research in behavioral medicine. Corporate wellness centers may include disease screening, health education, & fitness centers.

Clearly, a preventive approach is preferable for reducing the causes of stress, although coping methods can help employees to adapt to stressors that are beyond direct control. The key is to create a better fit between people & their work environment, & alternative approaches may be useful for different employees.WHAT CAN THE EMPLOYEES DO TO MAKE THEIR WORK MORE ENJOYABLE?Some employees can escape stress by requesting job transfers, finding alternative employment, taking early retirement, or acquiring assertiveness skills that allow them to confront the stressor. Several approaches also exist for coping with stress. These often involve cooperative efforts among employees & management & may include social support, relaxation efforts & biofeedback.SOCIAL SUPPORT:

A power antidote to the problem of stress-producing anger, anxiety & loneliness lies in the presence of social support at work. Social support is the network of helpful activities, interactions & relationships that provides an employee with the satisfaction of important needs.

Social support may come from supervisors, coworkers, friends, or family. Its focus may be on either work tasks or social exchanges & may even take the form of games, jokes, or teasing. Females, in particular, not only place more value on social support but seem to feel more comfortable, & capable, in providing it to others. RELAXATION:

Some employees have turned to various means of mental relaxation to adjust to the stressors in their lives. Patterned after the practice of meditation, the relaxation response involves quiet, concentrated inner thought in order to rest the body physically & emotionally. It helps remove people temporarily from the stressful world & reduce their symptoms of stress.

BIOFEEDBACK:

A different approach for working with stress is biofeedback, by which people under medical guidance learn from instrument feedback to influence symptoms of stress, such as increased heart rate or severe headaches. There is now evidence that people can exercise some control over these internal processes; thus biofeedback may be helpful in reducing undesirable effects of stress.

TRAVELLING:

Traveling is a good method to release stress because it gets you away from your problems. Just planning a vacation keeps your mind off things that can stress you out. Dreaming about where you're going to go and what you will do when you get there can take your mind off pressing issues that cause sleeplessness, high blood pressure, and tension. The simple act of "getting away from it all" helps people reduce stress, whether it is for a day or a week. WRITING

Writing can help you cope with stress, anger, and depression. Using it as part of your daily routine can be an important part of your overall stress reduction strategies.

Writing down your problems can help you manage your stress in many different ways. First, the simple act of sitting down in a quiet place to collect your thoughts can have a positive impact on your mood. Getting away from stress triggers in your life, be they situations or people, can greatly improve how you feel. Even if its just for a few minutes a day, you should carve out time to sit down and write in a journal.

Writing helps stress by giving you a birds eye perspective of your problems. When you are feeling overwhelmed you may look at all of your problems and think that they are too big to be overcome. This can cause you to feel even more stressed and overwhelmed. When you sit down to write in your journal, you can look at your problems from a different perspective. Youll gain insight on how you manage your problems which can help you in the future. It is important to remember that it takes time to feel the effects of the above tips. Some of them may work quickly but others take time to see the results. One should continue to take breaks and do things for oneself. Creating schedules and sticking to them is necessary. One should not procrastinate and take care of things as they come. When you feel out of control, take control by finding something you can do to improve the situation. Finally, take care of your health by sleeping and eating well. Before you know it, you will be able to accomplish more than you ever have and love your life!

FOODS THAT CURE ANXIETY & STRESS:From LoveToKnow StressMany people are looking for foods that cure anxiety and stress. Finding natural ways to relax will not only help mood, but it will also improve the overall health.

There are many foods to incorporate into the diet to reduce stress. These foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and beans. Think of what goes into your body as crucial for calming your entire system. We want natural, unprocessed foods that boost our mood, help the immune system, and protect from illnesses, like heart disease and high blood pressure. Oatmeal, oranges, spinach, fish, nuts & herbal tea are good for de stressing.It is important to remember list of foods that cure anxiety and stress when one is having a stressful day, & to also keep in mind this list of things one should avoid: Caffeine, Processed foods, Sugar & Alcohol.Unprocessed, natural foods that are free from preservatives and artificial flavors should be consumed. With a consistent healthy diet, the stress levels should reduce, and youll do the rest of your body a favor at the same time. Following are some common personal strategies for managing stress

1. Resist working long hours or accepting overtime.

2. Volunteer for flextime or other alternative work schedules.

3. Identify the people who cause stress & avoid them.

4. Maintain a healthy diet.

5. Obtain regular exercise.

6. Avoid procrastination.

7. Set reasonable goals for yourself.

8. Develop a simple method of organizing things, & adhere to it.

9. Step back from stress & decide whether you need to fight every battle.

10. Consult with a trusted friend before becoming involved in new activities. ABOUT PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK

CORPORATE MISSION

VISION-

To be a leading Global Bank with Pan India foot prints & become a household brand in the Indo- Gangetic plains providing entire range of products & services under one roof.

MISSION-Banking for the unbanked.

ORIGIN OF PNB

Lala Lajpat Rai and PNB

Lala Lajpat Rai, one of our greatest freedom fighters, was keenly concerned with the fact that though Indian capital was being used to run English Banks and companies, the profits went entirely to the British, while Indians had to contend themselves with a small interest on their capital. He echoed this sentiment in one of his writing while concurring with Rai Mul Raj of Arya Samaj who had long cherished the idea that Indians should have a National Bank of their own. At the instance of Rai Mul Raj, Lala Lajpat Rai sent a circular to selected friends insisting on an Indian joint stock Bank as the first step in constructive Swadeshi and the response was satisfactory.

After filing and registering the memorandum and Articles of Association on 19 May, 1894, the bank was incorporated under Act VI of the 1882 Indian Companies Act. The prospectus of the bank was published in the Tribune, and the Urdu Akhbar-e-Am and Paisa Akhbar. On 23rd May, 1894, the founders met at the Lahore residence of Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, the first Chairman of PNB, and resolved to go ahead with the scheme. They decided to hire a house in the famous Anarkali Bazar of Lahore opposite the post office and near well known stores of Rama Brothers.

On 12th April 1895, the bank opened for business, a day before the great Punjabi festival of Baishakhi. The essence of the Banks culture was clear at this first meeting itself. The fourteen original shareholders and seven directors took only a modest number of shares; the control of the bank was to lie with the large, dispersed shareholding, a purely professional approach that was as uncommon then as it is today.HERITAGE

Established in 1895 at Lahore, undivided India, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has the distinction of being the first Indian Bank to have been started solely with Indian capital. The bank was nationalised in July 1969 along with 13 other banks. From its modest beginning, the bank has grown in size & stature to become a front-line banking institution in India at present.

A professionally managed bank with a successful track record of over 110 years.

Largest branch network in India 4525 offices including 432 extensions counters spread throughout the country.

Strategic business area covers the large Indo-Gangetic bet & the metropolitan centres.

Ranked as 248th biggest bank in the world by Bankers Almanac, London.

Strong correspondent banking relationships with more than 217 International banks of the world.

More than 50 renowned International banks maintain their Rupee Accounts with PNB.

Well equipped dealing rooms; 20 different foreign currency accounts are maintained at major centres all over the globe.

Rupee drawing arrangements with M/s UAE Exchange Centre, UAE, M/s Al Fardan Exchange Co. Doha, Qatar, M/s Bahrain Exchange Co. Kuwait, M/s Bahrain Finance Co. Bahrain, M/s Thomas Cook Al Rostamani Exchange Co. Dubai, UAE, & M/s Musandam Exchange Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

PROFILE

With over 56 million satisfied customers and 5002 offices, PNB has continued to retain its leadership position amongst the nationalized banks. The bank enjoys strong fundamentals, large franchise value and good brand image. Besides being ranked as one of India's top service brands, PNB has remained fully committed to its guiding principles of sound and prudent banking. Apart from offering banking products, the bank has also entered the credit card & debit card business; bullion business; life and non-life insurance business; Gold coins & asset management business, etc.

Since its humble beginning in 1895 with the distinction of being the first Indian bank to have been started with Indian capital, PNB has achieved significant growth in business which at the end of March 2010 amounted to Rs 435931 crore. Today, with assets of more than Rs 2,96,633 crore, PNB is ranked as the 3rd largest bank in the country (after SBI and ICICI Bank) and has the 2nd largest network of branches (5002 offices including 5 overseas branches ).During the FY 2009-10, with 40.85% share of CASA deposits, the bank achieved a net profit of Rs 3905 crore. Bank has a strong capital base with capital adequacy ratio of 14.16% as on Mar10 as per Basel II with Tier I and Tier II capital ratio at 9.15% and 5.01% respectively. As on March10, the Bank has the Gross and Net NPA ratio of 1.71% and 0.53% respectively. During the FY 2009-10, its ratio of Priority Sector Credit to Adjusted Net Bank Credit at 40.5% & Agriculture Credit to Adjusted Net Bank Credit at 19.7% was also higher than the stipulated requirement of 40% & 18%.

The Bank has maintained its stake holders interest by posting an improved NIM of 3.57% in Mar10 (3.52% Mar09) and a Return on Assets of 1.44% (1.39% Mar09). The Earning per Share improved to Rs 123.98 (Rs 98.03 Mar09) while the Book value per share improved to Rs 514.77 (Rs 416.74 Mar09) Punjab National Bank continues to maintain its frontline position in the Indian banking industry. In particular, the bank has retained its NUMBER ONE position among the nationalized banks in terms of number of branches, Deposit, Advances, total Business, Assets, Operating and Net profit in the year 2009-10. The impressive operational and financial performance has been brought about by Banks focus on customer based business with thrust on CASA deposits, Retail, SME & Agri Advances and with more inclusive approach to banking; better asset liability management; improved margin management, thrust on recovery and increased efficiency in core operations of the Bank. The performance highlights of the bank in terms of business and profit are shown below:

Rs in Crore

ParametersMar'08Mar'09Mar'10CAGR(%)

Operating Profit40065744732622.29

Net Profit20493091390523.98

Deposit16645720976024933014.42

Advance11950215470318660116.01

Total Business28595936446343593115.09

PNB has always looked at technology as a key facilitator to provide better customer service and ensured that its IT strategy follows the Business strategy so as to arrive at Best Fit. The bank has made rapid strides in this direction. All branches of the Bank are under Core Banking Solution (CBS) since Dec08, thus covering 100% of its business and providing Anytime Anywhere banking facility to all customers including customers of more than 3000 rural & semi urban branches. The bank has also been offering Internet banking services to the customers of CBS branches like booking of tickets, payment of bills of utilities, purchase of airline tickets etc. Towards developing a cost effective alternative channels of delivery, the bank with more than 350 ATMs has the largest ATM network amongst Nationalized Banks.

With the help of advanced technology, the Bank has been a frontrunner in the industry so far as the initiatives for Financial Inclusion is concerned. With its policy of inclusive growth in the Indo-Gangetic belt, the Banks mission is Banking for Unbanked. The Bank has launched a drive for biometric smart card based technology enabled Financial Inclusion with the help of Business Correspondents/Business Facilitators (BC/BF) so as to reach out to the last mile customer. The Bank has started several innovative initiatives for marginal groups like rickshaw pullers, vegetable vendors, dairy farmers, construction workers, etc. Under Branchless Banking model, the Bank is implementing 40 projects in 16 States. The Bank launched an ambitious Project Namaskar under which 1 lakh touch points will be established in unbanked villages by 2013 to extend the Banks outreach. Under this, 30 Kiosks have been opened covering 119 Villages reaching 1.32 Lakh beneficiaries.

Backed by strong domestic performance, the bank is planning to realize its global aspirations. The Bank continues its selective foray in international markets with presence in 9 countries, with branches at Kabul and Dubai, Hong Kong & representative offices at Almaty, Dubai, Shanghai and Oslo, a wholly owned subsidiary in UK, a joint venture with Everest Bank Ltd. Nepal and a JV banking subsidiary DRUK PNB Bank Ltd. in Bhutan. Bank is pursuing upgradation of its representative offices in China & Norway and is in the process of setting up a representative office in Sydney, Australia and taking controlling stake in JSC Dana Bank in Kazakhastan.

The Bank has been a recipient of many awards and accolades during the year:- Gold trophy of SCOPE Meritorious Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance 2009 by Standing Conference of Public Enterprises

As per Financial Express-Ernest & young (FE-EY) Indias Best Banks Survey, PNB is identified as the best bank among the nationalized banks in terms of overall ranking.

As per HT-MaRS Survey on Customer Satisfaction, PNB stood NUMBER ONE in Delhi and Chennai in terms of customer satisfaction.

As per the Forbes Annual list of 2000 global giants, PNB tops the list of nationalized banks with a global ranking of 695, substantial improvement over last years placement at 946th position.

The Economic Times has ranked CEO of PNB as the 32nd Most Powerful CEO of 2010.

Skoch Challenge Award 2010 for Livelihood Linkage of the milk producers in Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh.

IDC Financial Insights Innovation awards 2010 by IDC Financial Insights

ORGANIZATONAL STRUCTURE

The Bank has its Corporate Office at New Delhi which supervises 58 Circle Offices under which the branches function. The delegation of powers is decentralized up to the branch level to facilitate quick decision making. The present Chairman & the Managing Director of the Bank is Mr. K.V. Kamath.

SUBSIDIARIES & JOINT VENTURESPNB GILTS Ltd.

It is the subsidiary of Punjab National Bank which was amongst the first ones to get the licence for undertaking activities in the Government Security market, as a primary dealer in 1996. The company received ISO 9002 certification from British Standard Institution, making it as the first primary dealer in India to achieve this certification for its quality systems and procedures. This certificate has been granted to the company as a whole including its corporate and branch offices.PNB HOUSING FINANCE Ltd.

This is a wholly owned subsidiary of Punjab National Bank, is engaged in providing housing loans for purchase, construction and upgradation of a dwelling unit. The company offers Loans for construction or for purchase of house/flat from development authorities and also from private builders/ group housing societies as well as for renovation/ repairs. The company also provides finance for construction of residential projects. Loans to NRIs are also provided for purchase/ construction of house/ flat along with a resident/ non-resident co-borrower. PNB(IL)

Punjab National Bank (International) Limited (PNBIL) is a wholly owned UK subsidiary of Punjab National Bank, India. PNBIL was incorporated in UK on 13th April 2006 and registered with the Companies House in England & Wales under No. 5781326. PNBIL was authorized by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) on 13th April 2007 to conduct Banking Business in UK under Registration No. 459701. PNBIL started banking operations in UK on 10th of May 2007 from two locations. The corporate office and City branch was established at 87, Gresham Street, London EC2V 7NQ and a branch office at 90, South Road, Southall, Middlesex UB1 1RD. In the year 2009, two more branches were opened at 160 Belgrave Road, Leicester LE4 5AU (UK) and 290 Soho Road, Birmingham B21 9LZ (UK).Products & Services offered

Savings Fund Account Total Freedom Salary Account, PNB Prudent Sweep, PNB Vidyarthi SF Account, PNB Mitra SF

Current Account PNB Vaibhav, PNB Gaurav, PNB Smart Roamer

Fixed Deposit Schemes Spectrum Fixed Deposit Scheme, Anupam Account, Mahabachat Schemes, Multi Benefit Deposit

Scheme Credit Schemes Flexible Housing Loan, Car Finanace, Personal Loan, Credit Cards

Social Banking Mahila Udyam Nidhi Scheme, Krishi Card, PNB Farmers Welfare Trust

Corporate Banking Gold Card scheme for exporters, EXIM finance

Business Sector PNB Karigar credit card, PNB Kushal Udhami, PNB Pragati Udhami, PNB Vikas Udhami

RESEARCH

Because employees spend roughly one third of their lives working in an organizational goal setting, employee mental health is of particular importance. Two people exposed to the same threatening situation may differ substantially in the magnitude and duration of stress responses and stress related health problems might emerge in several contrasting ways both physically and mentally. Some of these variations result from differences in temperament, social resources and the effectiveness of the coping responses that the individual brings to bear on the stressful transaction.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this research was to estimate the level of work stress among the employees here at Punjab National Bank. The research also intends to find out if the employees suffer from any of the stress related disorders. The research also tries to find out if the employees have a general sense of satisfaction with their work life. It is important to remember that the research here is intended to calculate the negative stress among the employees & suggest measures to overcome its effects.SAMPLING:

The sample size selected for this research is 45 which comprise 23 employees from the Circle Office located at Cuffe Parade, 12 employees from the bank branch located at Cuffe Parade & 10 employees from the bank branch located at Vashi, Sector 1.

Random sampling has been used for the research purpose.

The sample has been divided into the age groups as follows:

CIRCLE OFFICEBANK BRANCHES

21-30 4% 21-30 0%

31-40 13%31-40 9%

41-50 39%41-50 32%

51-60 44%51-60 59%

Further the gender classification is as follows:CIRCLE OFFICEBANK BRANCHES

MALE 83%MALE 59%

FEMALE 17%FEMALE 41%

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT:

A questionnaire was prepared for the purpose of this research & administered to the sample. The questions intending to identify the stress level of the employees were close ended. Some open ended job related questions were also included in the questionnaire. The probable responses to the close ended questions have been assigned a respective weight. The response which indicates the highest level of stress causing factor has been given a weight of 4. The weight decreases as the intensity of stress causing factor reduces. The response which indicates no stress has a weight of 0. Each question can have only one response.

Finally the stress levels have been categorized into four as follows:

0-22:- no to low levels of stress

23-45:- low to moderate levels of stress

46-68:- moderate to high levels of stress

69-92:- very high levels of stress

PROJECT ON STRESS MANAGEMENT

QUESTIONNAIRE

I, Deepika P. Amesar, student of N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies & Research, am working as an intern here at Punjab National Bank on the project Stress Management. For my research I have made the following questionnaire. I would be obliged if you could spare your time in filling the details below regarding your job.

Name (not mandatory):__________________________________________________________Age group:

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

Gender:Male

Female

No of years worked: ____________________________________________________________No. of years worked in this branch/office: ___________________________________________Marital Status: ________________________________________________________________

Size of the family: _____________________________________________________________No. of years remaining for retirement: _____________________________________________Whom do you report to? ________________________________________________________Do you have subordinates reporting to you?

Yes / No

Do you suffer from any of the following? (Tick whichever applies)

Diabetes

Migraine

Cardiovascular diseases

High blood pressure

Digestion problems

Sleeping disorders

Anxiety & Fear

Impatience

Frequent emotional disturbances

Have you recently gone through any stressful situation?

Yes / No

Does your family & friends support you & appreciate you with respect to your work?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you spend enough time with your family & friends?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Are you able to take time out for activities that you enjoy?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel that you neglect your personal needs frequently?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel run down or drained of physical & emotional energy?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel that you are prone to negative thinking about your job?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you find yourself getting easily irritated with small problems or with your co-workers & your team?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel that you are achieving less than you should?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel under an intense pressure to succeed?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel that you are in the wrong organization or the wrong profession?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel that organizational politics or bureaucracy frustrate your ability to do a good job?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel that you are over worked?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you fear about the quality of your performance?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you get tensed at the non achievement of your target?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel your job is boring & uninteresting?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you feel your job lacks challenge?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Have you ever refused Promotion for the fear of additional responsibilities?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Are you satisfied with the salary & other allowances given to you?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you undergo Job Rotation at your workplace?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you find yourself overreacting to even small issues?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Do you share a good relationship with your colleagues?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Have you ever been rewarded for your performance?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

What is your Job Profile?

Are you ready to take additional responsibilities?

Not at allRarely

Sometimes

Often

Very often

Which element would you like to add to your job to make it more appealing or interesting?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

The project report shows the level of stress the bank employees are facing at the Circle Office & the Bank branches. Lets have a look at some of the basic findings of the survey:

Stress level among employees:

CIRCLE OFFICEBANK BRANCHES

0-22 6 0-22 4

23-45 1623-45 16

46-68 146-68 2

69-92 069-92 0

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:

CIRCLE OFFICE

BANK BRANCHES -

From the data collected it can be seen that the majority of the bank employees ( 70 % in the circle office & 73% in the bank branches) are on the 2nd level of stress i.e., low to moderate level of stress shown by the range 23-45. Few employees ( 4% in the circle office & 9% in the bank branches) are on the 3rd level characterized by moderate to high level of stress indicated by range 46-68. Special attention needs to be given to such employees so that their condition doesnt worsen further. No employee is on the highest level of stress which is a good sign & shows that the work9ing conditions are not very taxing in the bank in general. Few employees also show no stress ( 26% in the circle office & 18% in the bank branches). It means that they take their work in a positive mannner & hence may not face the negative consequences of work overload, if any.Lets take a look at some other results derived from the survey. Some of the important questions & the responses given for them are summarized as under:Q. Do your family & friends support you & appreciate you with respect to your work?

Circle Office results-

Bank branches results-

Social support is very important to deal with any kind of stress & for general well being. The results calculated as above show that the employees do enjoy the support from their family & friends.

Q. Are you satisfied with the salary & other allowances given to you?

Circle office results-

Bank branches results-

Satisfaction with salary & other allowances shows a sorry picture with majority of the employees being either not at all or rarely satisfied with their pay packages. Important figures here are:Circle office 35% are not at all satisfied while 17% are rarely satisfied

Bank branches 32% are not at all satisfied while 23% are rarely satisfiedQ. Do you feel that you are over worked?

Circle office results-

Bank branches results-

This result shows that the majority i.e 55% of the branch employees do feel overworked at times. This result is more true for the branch employees. This shows that the work load is more for the branch employees. The corresponding figure for the circle office is 31%. The ones who feel overworked most of the times are the ones who are more vulnerable to face the negative consequences of work overload & stress. Q. Are you ready to take additional responsibilities?

Circle Office results:

Bank branches results:

The results show that 30% of the employees in the circle office & 23% of the employees in the branches are ready to take additional responsibilities on a regular basis. This may be because they might find their current job less interesting & want to add something to it. It may also be true that these empoloyees yearn to learn newer things about the different jobs at their work place which is a good sign. Such employees should be encouraged.Q. Do you feel that you neglect your personal needs frequently?

Circle Office results:

Bank branches results:

The results show that many of the employees feel that they neglect their personal needs frequently. This is an important cause of stress because one must take time out for oneself on a regular basis to take care of personal needs. Important figures here are:Circle office 22% neglect their needs very often while 9% do it often. 43% neglect their needs at times. This may happen when they are overworked.

Bank branches 14% neglect their needs very often while 27% do it often. 27% neglect their needs at times. This may happen when they are overworked.Lets take a look at another important point. The following graphs show the percentage of employees suffering from various disorders including lifestyle diseases like diabetes & cardiovascular problems.Circle office results:

Bank branches results:

The disorders covered in this study include Diabetes, Hypertension, Migraine, Cardiovascular problems, Digestion problems, Sleeping disorders, Anxiety & fear, Impatience & Frequent emotional disturbances. According to the above results 39% of the Circle office employees suffer from one or more of the above mentioned disorders while in the bank branches a shocking 64% suffer from one or more of the disorders. These disorders maybe a direct consequence of stress & may also further contribute to more stress if suffered by anyone. Diabetes & Cardiovascular problems, specially, are life threatening disorders. An important fact to note here is that most of the employees working here are in the age groups of 40-50 & 50-60. Health care is extremely important as one ages because the immunity of an individual reduces as age increases. The points covered above are important indicators of stress & work overload. The responses given maybe subjective to the time & mood of the respondent but stil they give a broad picture of the quantum of stress the employees may feel while working in Punjab National Bank.

Following are some of the other observations at Punjab National Bank:

The working hours here range from 7-9 hours per day on the weekdays & 5-6 hours on Saturdays. This is in the normal range.

Absentism leads too work burden many a times which can lead to work stress.

Most of the employees are in the age group of 41-50 & 51-60 years. Thus we can observe that there is no young blood working in the organization which can lead to paucity of fresh ideas alongwith less energetic work culture.

Frequent System failure also leads to work overload & stress among the employees as was observed by me during my 1 week tenure at the Vashi branch. There is a very strong need of technological upgradation which should be at par with International standards. Frequent system failure reflects very poorly on the bank along with increasing the employee workload & most importantly, delay in service leading to customer dissatisfaction.LIMITATIONS OF THE SURVEY

Questionnaire, per se, as a survey instrument has certain disadvantages as far as its application is concerned. The results of the research above also has certain limitations as stated below: The sample size was only 45 which is very small considering the vast number of employees Punjab National Bank has all over the country.

The responses given by the employees to the questions may vary with the changing times. So the result of the survey may also vary as time changes.

The responses to some of the questions may be biased because some of the employees may feel scared to answer some of the questions.

Some of the questions like being able to spend time with the family may not be applicable to those employees who stay away from family simply because their family cant relocate to the changing job locations. Thus the survey may not give accurate results to such questions.

The questions being close ended give only a myopic view of the stress level of employees & may not be able to give a clear understanding of the stress the employees maybe going through. The results of the survey may also vary with the changing loctaions. The stressors may also vary with the changing locations. The employees of a branch in the north eastern part of India may face stress due to the hostile working conditions in that part while the employees in an urban area, say Mumbai, may face stress due to work overload on account of too many customers. This survey, however, covers only one small part of the country. Hence the results may be skewed. WHAT DO THE EMPLOYEES FEEL?

Casual conversations with the employees at both, the Circle office & the Bank branches have highlighted certain important problems being faced by the employees. Certain important suggestions given by the employees to make their work more enjoyable & stress free a