EDUCATE
TOO STRESSED
TO M OW O N :
STATE OF STRESS IN LANDSCAPING
CAUSES OF WORKPLACE STRESS FOR LANDSCAPING AND IDEAS TO MANAGE IT
F
rom unexpected delivery schedules, precarious weather, to quality concerns for plants and trees—landscaping can be a highly stressful job.
Through a series of questions and interviews of an exclusive group of landscaping professionals, the survey explored causes, trends and possible solutions to reduce workplace stress.
Workplace stress has serious consequences for the industry and the people. The American Institute of Stress website estimates that American businesses lose about $300 billion every year to stressrelated issues. They are also responsible for almost 60 percent of the turnover. But what does the landscaping industry itself think about stress? GoMaterials and ProLandscaper decided to find out with a quick poll in 2021.
1 Too Many Jobs & A Chaotic Workflow Cause Stress Brian McMaster, of McMaster Lawn & Pest Services, sums up the root cause of industry stress by saying, “We try to grow our business on the recurring revenues generated from services like fertilization and lawn mowing. The stress always comes from the landscaping installation jobs. The experience of McMaster Pest Services is not an isolated example. New construction or
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enhancement jobs tend to involve tighter timelines and a competitive bidding model, which only increases what can go wrong. The ProLandscaper and GoMaterials survey results reveal the leading causes of stress are excessive work and too little time, and a 'chaotic work culture.' Other factors are a lack of effective communication and the challenges of growing a business." 2 Uncontrollable Chain of Events Add to the Stress Labor and plant shortages of 2021 wrecked the predictability for landscaping and left many in the industry with elevated stress levels. With an average increase of 20 percent across most markets,
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