With job stress estimated to cost North American companies $300 billion annually, corporate training managers should flock to a new series of e-learning courses on stress recognition and strategies for coping, developed by McGraw-Hill Lifetime Learning (MHLL), a leading provider of comprehensive e-learning solutions, in conjunction with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

It has been estimated that one million workers - more than half of all workers who miss work each day - stay home due to stress related complaints. The financial impact of stress-related problems -- from absenteeism, diminished productivity, turnover and medical, legal and insurance fees -- leads many organizations to search for company wide solutions.

Responding to this worrisome trend, MHLL developed its new seven-part stress management series to help individuals in all levels of an organization recognize the sources and effects of stress in their lives and provide tools for developing effective coping strategies. The series adds to MHLL's expanding catalog of courses designed to create productive and positive workplace environments.

The seven courses are divided into two content-focused areas, Recognizing Stress and Coping with Stress. Each 25 - 45 minute course examines the sources and effects of stress, positive and negative reactions to stress, short-term and long-term coping mechanisms and the impact on organizations suffering the effects of stress.

MHLL is the corporate training industry's leading provider of professional learning services and e-learning courses, developed with an in depth understanding of instructional design, mapped to adult learning theories and optimized to take full advantage of individual delivery systems. MHLL offers more than 1400 AICC and SCORM compliant Internet-delivered courses in more than nine languages in such skill areas as business, executive development, IT training, industrial and safety skills, human resource and organizational essentials, adult basic education, personal effectiveness and business language training.

"We consider job related stress one of the most challenging issues for organizations to understand, address and remedy in today's fast-paced world" said Patricia Leonard, president of MHLL. "This latest course offering underscores McGraw-Hill Lifetime Learning's commitment to providing relevant and timely corporate training solutions that not only address serious issues, but aid in overcoming them."

The Stress Management courses include a tutorial, workbooks (online or in print) with self-assessment exercises, action plans and a glossary. Additional features include pre-testing to focus the learner on the parts of the course that will be most beneficial to their needs, post-testing to enable students and trainers to benchmark performance and book-marking, allowing students to leave the course and return to the same point at a later time to complete their session.

About McGraw-Hill Lifetime Learning

McGraw-Hill Lifetime Learning (www.mhlifetimelearning.com) offers e-learning products and services that leverage the wealth of knowledge and expertise that exists within The McGraw-Hill Companies. MHLL is a division of McGraw-Hill Education, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in financial services, education and business-to-business information through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's and Business Week. The corporation has more than 300 offices in 33 countries. Sales in 2000 exceeded $4.3 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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