Stress Management Reduction Presentation for Psychology of Stress course at University of Maryland University College - March 2009

2. Purpose
To provide information on the current business
practices that allow Analytic Services, Inc. (ANSER)
to provide a stress free working environment for its
employees.

3. Who is ANSER
 The operating unit of Analytic Services Inc.
A public-service institute and independent
nonprofit corporation chartered in California in
1958.
 ANSER provides objective studies, analysis, and aid
to decision-makers throughout the national
security, homeland security, and public safety
communities.
 ANSER’s home office is located in Arlington
VA, with field offices in Colorado Springs, CO, and
Hampton, VA.

4. Mission and History
 Mission: As a public service institute is to dedicate
its talent and focus its innovation toward shaping
the nation’s future.
 History: ANSER was created in the dawn of the
space age. The U. S. S. R. launched Sputnik in
October of 1957. The United States launched
Explorer I in January of 1958 and, in October of
that same year, created NASA.

5. History
 In July of 1958, ANSER was established to meet the
Air Force Directorate of Development Planning's
need for a single contractor to handle increasing
technology studies and do it in a timely and
responsive manner without the Air Force having to
implement “contractor education” in the process.
 In 1976, ANSER began work for numerous Air Force
organizations, Department of Defense
components, and other federal agencies.
 The corporation now provides analytic and technical
support to government agencies throughout the
national security, homeland security, and public
safety mission areas.

6. The ANSER Vision
 Strengthen public institutions by improving their
effectiveness and efficiency;
 Enhance public safety by helping the Nation
anticipate and meet 21st century challenges; and
 Help protect U.S. technological leadership by
nurturing the science and technology workforce.

7. ANSER Values
 Public Service: We are guided by the Nation’s
interests.
Impact: We make a difference—we inform decisions

that shape the Nation’s future.
Excellence: We deliver quality in all that we do.

Integrity: We safeguard objectivity—as trusted

agents we live by the highest ethical standards.
Initiative: We anticipate challenges and take

action.
Collaboration: We build effective teams and

trusted relationships across the corporation and
with our partners and clients.

8. Employees
 ANSER has approximately 645 employees across
the country
 Of the 645 employees, 68% are male and 32% are
female
 ANSER strives to make a difference in the lives of
its employees by having the employees be a part of
the business process by developing policy and
procedures and providing a work environment that
promotes the health and wellness

9. Stress Reduction
 ANSER does not consider itself to have a formalized
stress reduction program but they do provide
assistance to its employees and their family
members through its Employee Assistance Plan
(EAP).
 Benefits are currently provided under a contract
between ANSER and Inova Employee Assistance
(IEA), Inova Health System; a non-profit health
organization based in Northern Virginia.
 The flagship hospital, Inova Fairfax Hospital, has won
acclaims as one of the best hospitals in the nation.

10. Services Provided
 Inova provides confidential counseling services
designed to help employees find workable solutions
to problems from family or workplace frustrations
to alcohol or drug abuse.
 Professional counselors provide confidential short-
term counseling that includes help with:
 Assessment of the problem
 Support and understanding
 Professional guidance and referral

11. Services Provided
 Counseling services are provided for:
 Marriage, family, and relationship problems;
emotional, personal, and stress-related concerns;
depressive illness and/or anxiety; major life or health
changes, including bereavement and loss; alcohol and
drug abuse; financial and credit problems; child care
issues; elder care issues and legal matters.
 Religious and non-religious counseling is provided
for employees by hospital chaplains.

12. Success
 To gage the success of their stress reduction
assistance ANSER uses end of employment
questionnaires and EAP reports.
 Periodically Inova provides ANSER with EAP reports that
outline how their services were utilized and provides
statistics on reported or developing trends.
 The reports are used to track the health and welfare of the
company as it relates to stress and other health related
issues.
 Mr. Pete Roscoe, ANSER human resource manager stated
that “ANSER is well below local and industry wide
averages. Along with the EAP reports we conduct surveys
when employees discontinue their employment with ANSER
and we would have a real concern if the utilization and
trend numbers were at or above the industry level.”

13. Workload
 Job burnout really is not something most people
think about.
 Is EAP or stress management counseling enough to
address the issue of job burnout, especially on a
case-by-case basis?
 Burnout is best addressed at the organizational
level rather than the individual.
 One way of addressing job burnout is possibly to
limit the number of hours an employee works.

14. Workload
 Minimal overtime or weekend work at ANSER.
 For hourly employees division managers must approve all
additional work hours.
 Salaried employees must obtain approval from the
company CEO or president (8 to 10 hr work day).
 ANSER employees can utilize whenever possible
compress work schedule/flex-time.
 This allows employees to build a work schedule that allows
them time off during the workweek to meet personal needs.

15. Control
 Employees are a major part of quality improvement
and actively participate on committees such as
employee morale, parking, health, recreation.
 ANSERs performance evaluation system
 Managers meet with employees at the mid-year and end of
the calendar year to provide feedback and rate the employee’s
 The process culminates in a documented record of the
employee’s performance during a given calendar year.
 Influences salary actions, career development, promotions,
selection for new opportunities, and corrective action
 Employee are in control of their
 Goals
 Accomplishments
 Financial rewards

16. Reward
One of the best reward systems I have been a part
of during my military and civilian working career.
 Quarterly and annual boards select winners for the
Analytic Services Inc. Excellence Awards.
 The Analytical Services Quick Cash Award.
 Employees ($100) or teams ($50 each) who go “above and
beyond” the daily requirements of their job.
 Equally important is ensuring that employees are
compensated fairly. Therefore, pay and performance
assessments are conducted annually for employees
with at least 3 months of service with ANSER.

17. Community
 ANSER does not tolerate harassment of ANSER
employees by managers, co-workers or third parties
such as customers, vendors, and consultants.
 Employees take anti-harassment training annually.
Behavior not in line with ANSER policy include:
 Inappropriate comments, overtures, or jokes.
 Unwanted physical contact or obstruction of movement.
 Promising, threatening or taking any employment
action, like hiring, promoting, demoting based on
accommodation or rejection of sexual propositions.
 Health and safety are priorities at ANSER.
 Strict tobacco-free, and our leaders are committed to
creating a safe and healthy workplace.

18. Community
 Many continuous learning opportunities.
 Education tuition assistance program allows employees to
continue higher education with up-front tuition assistance
up to $5200.00 a year. This starts from the moment the
individual becomes an employee of ANSER.
 Company sponsored seminars
 ANSER policies and procedures provide for a
psychologically healthy workplace. Its low turnover
rate in personnel seem to be a reflection of an
environment embracing a low stress work
environment.

19. Values
 ANSER values employee participation and feedback
through:
 Mini surveys
 Focus groups
 Quality performance improvement teams

20. Fairness
 ANSER’s has developed policies and procedures that
provide for a fair and equal opportunity work place.
 Managers are trained to listen and address employee
concerns and involve them in solving work area
problems.
 During ANSER’s formal performance management process,
managers meet with employees twice a year but they also
meet with them in informal settings.
 ANSER’s dispute resolution policy states:
 “Management will make every attempt to resolve the dispute
quickly at the lowest level possible. An employee is expected to
first discuss concerns with their manager. In the event the
employee feels uncomfortable addressing the concern with
their manager or does not believe the manager has fully
addressed the concern, the employee may bring the concern to
the next higher manager or HR representative.”

21. My Thoughts
 ANSER says it doesn’t have a formal workplace stress
reduction program. But it seems to have all the
components in place policies, procedures, and
programs that allow employees to have enough control
and confidence in their work environment to fulfill
their responsibilities to the job, family, church,
community, as well as meeting personal life demands.
 ANSERs commitment to being a preferred employer
starts with its commitment to its employees
 Health, dental, and vision care
 Flex-spending accounts enable employees to use tax free dollar
 Flexible work schedules
 Programs and counseling for many challenging work-life
balance issues
 Career counseling and mentoring programs gives employees an
opportunity to learn from top leaders and grow their career.

22. QUESTIONS