The Impacts of Workplace Stress - Essay Example

STRESS IN WORKPLACE by Student’s Name Code + Course Instructor Institution of Affiliation City, State Date Workplace Stress Introduction In the recent past, businesses have focused on the wellbeing of the employees in attempts to enhance their productivity and hence the overall performance. One of the major concerns that have attracted the global health and labor organizations is work-related stress. Typically, stress is necessary for the human lives at certain levels (Beattie and Griffin, 2014). Stress occurs when internal or external disruptive incident affects a person, causing reactions in an attempt to adjust to the new environment. Thus, stress is paramount in enhancing the concentration of a person towards a certain task to achieve specified objectives. In other words, optimal stress levels enable people to stay focused and alert, which is paramount in the working environments. Nevertheless, stress beyond the particular levels ceases to be significance and becomes harmful to the well-being of a person (Hatch et al., 2011). Similarly, optimal level workplace stress is fundamental in motivating the employees towards achieving individual goals. However, beyond a particular degree, work-related stress stops being important towards the human resources and becomes a hindrance to productivity. The Impacts of Workplace Stress Work-related stress incidents occur when the occupation demand exceeds the delivery ability of the worker. In Australia, workplace stress is ranked as the second most compensated occupational injuries, followed by musculoskeletal conditions. Additionally, Australian workers were paid over $133.9 million during the 2004/2005 financial year, after they successfully petitioned the concerned organizations for workplace stress compensation. The National Health and Safety Commission (NHSC) insinuate that work-related stress as the leading cause of absenteeism in different occupations. NHSC has also identified stress as one of the psychological threats in the working environment. Moreover, a study conducted by the Safe Work Australia between 2008 and 2011 estimates the annual cost of workplace stress to be more than $10 billion. Apparently, workplace stress affects the economic, political and social dimension of the contemporary world. Thus, understanding the concept of workplace stress so as to expound on possible intervention measures to mitigate the socioeconomic impacts on the human resources is inevitable. Discussion What is Workplace Stress? The World Health Organization (WHO) describes workplace stress as the reaction given by the workers when faced with occupational-related pressures and demands beyond their expertise and capacities, and which hinder their aptitude to adapt (Betterhealth.vic.gov.au, 2017). Correspondingly, WorkSafe Victoria defines workplace stress as the physical, emotional and mental reaction (stress responses) of the employees when they are subjected to work demands that surpass their capabilities or resources (time, support and expertise) to perform their duties (worksafe.vic.gov.au, 2016). The descriptions provided by WHO and WorkSafe Victoria correspond with the original concept of work-related stress and hence related. These definitions elaborate that work stress affects the employees due to the working environment conditions. Whereas the version provided by the WHO covers the courses and effects of the workplace stress, it does not categorize the stress responses along with the environmental stressors. On the contrary, the WorkSafe Victoria's approach has differentiated the body reactions as the physical, mental and emotional factors along with the environmental stressors. The attitude of the second definition elaborates how the employees are affected, guiding the workplace stress intervention techniques. In addition, it provides the environmental stressors as insufficient resources like time, support, and expertise that lead to work-related stress. Therefore, this work-related stress provides a conceptual framework to design the intervention strategies. For instance, ensuring that workers have adequate support and time when performing daunting tasks, and are properly prepared with appropriate knowledge can reduce the susceptibility of work-related stress. Factors Causing Workplace Stress Numerous factors trigger workplace stress impacts on the employees. Since people react differently when exposed to internal and external environmental stressors, the causes and consequences may vary among the employees. For instance, some workers perform better when working under strict supervision and deadlines while others may perform destitute under similar conditions (Hatch et al., 2011). Nonetheless, some of the commonly identified factors as the primary causes are the working environment, the occupation nature, and work relations. Working Environment The working environment factors often subject the employees to physical stress, reducing the degree of concentration, which eventually leads to adverse voluntary or involuntary responses. Working under too hot or cold conditions subjects a person to physical stress, increasing the risk of developing health complications. Other conditions such as poor maintenance, overcrowding, exposure to toxic chemicals, noise pollution and poor lighting may lead to health complications (Hurley, 2007). Inadequate safety and security measures, as well as unpredictable working schedules, subjects the body to environmental stress, increasing the susceptibility of emotional or physical stress. The Occupation Nature The nature of the job mainly deals with the scope and professional responsibilities which expose the workers to stress. For instance, inadequate training and support, repetitive work, excess workload as well as long working hours promote the possibility of developing stress. Extreme deadline pressures, as well as additional supervision, increases the likelihood of stress (Tompkins, 2009). Poor organizational structure leads to confusion timeframes, quality and priorities, employment insecurities and poor delegation may cause workplace stress. Work Relations The humans are social beings, which require mutual support to overcome various challenges. Therefore, how the workers are handled at the workplaces have a direct impact on their physical, emotional and mental well-being (Tompkins, 2009). Some of the aspects of workplace relationships that cause work-related stress include discrimination, client hostility, harassment, poor personal association with other workers and poor communication within the organization (Hurley, 2007). Others aspects include leadership tussles, unhealthy organizational culture and the absence of appropriate channels to raise issues affecting the human resources. Distress and Eustress Distress and eustress are forms of stress that affect the employees in different ways. In particular, eustress causes positive impacts on a person, while distress results in adverse effects. As mentioned before, various types of workers are affected by stress in several ways. Still, stress can have positive (eustress) or negative (distress) impacts on a person, depending on the ability or the responses given when exposed to the environmental stressors (Beattie and Griffin, 2014). Thus, some workers may perceive work-related stress as a challenge to enhance the degree of perfection. For instance, strict deadlines and supervision may increase the level of competence among some employees, promoting their ability to deliver critical challenges. In this case, such employees view stringent deadlines as the ultimate motivator towards perfection. The resulting challenges may also stimulate creativity, leading to the innovation of shortcuts or quick solutions to persisting problems. On the other hand, other employees view work-related stress as a hindrance, as a result of their personal values and personalities. As illustrated in the eustress case, subjecting some people to work pressure reduces their abilities to concentrate and exploit their full potential. Such employees are keener to fine details, as they perceive thoroughness as the absolute perfection. As a consequence, work-related pressure may lead to stress and other associated negative outcomes (Kato, 2014). Due to eustress and distress, it is important to understand the workforce so as to develop effective measures to engage the employees, reducing the likelihood of the undesirable impacts of work-related stress. Occupational Differences in Workplace Stress Notably, different careers have unique challenges that tend to inhibit the full potential realization of the workforce. Due to these variations, some occupations are more vulnerable to workplace stress as compared to others. Similarly, employees with certain forms of responsibilities may be at a higher risk to suffer the workplace stress effects. As stated before, work-stress tend to vary depending on the personality of the employees and the nature of occupation (Hurley, 2007). Occupations that are classified as low-risk industries tend to have a favorable environment to concentrate on the primary responsibilities. This is attributed to the scope of work and the level of professionalism. It is, however, to appreciate that the risk of workplace stress can only be measured against specific factors mainly because of the uniqueness of various professionals (Slee, 1995). For instance, a person working in an office environment is less likely to suffer from noise pollution as compared to manual laborers. Still, a technician working on a permanent contractual basis is less liable to suffer work-related stress that results from job insecurity. One of the industries characterized by occupations with the highest likelihood of work-related stress is the human services sector. The human services sector is classified into two broad categories namely, the mental health and social services. The Human Services Industry Normally, the social services career focus on efforts of promoting the quality of life in the community, in particular among the special groups such as the refugees, the elderly, drug addicts, crime victims and people living with disabilities. The mental health services are concerned with mental health practitioners developing intervention techniques to facilitate people to change their mental outlook or behaviors (Kato, 2014). Apparently, the human services field requires the employees to deal directly with the clients and the target groups. Employees in this occupation are also obligated to be optimistic, friendly and compassionate when handling the customers. One of the primary sources of work-related stress in this sector is the conflicting demands (Hatch et al., 2011). Particularly, the human services support workers are prone to stress due to the conflicting requirements of the employer, supervisors and the clients. Mitigation Measures Since the primary responsibilities of the occupations in the human services sector increase the risk of developing work-related stress, it is inevitable to develop adequate support mechanisms to deal with possible pressure. It is inevitable to provide support services such as guaranteeing a job and personal safety of the employees working in these conditions. Besides, the provision of support services such as guidance and counseling to employees in this sector is important in reducing the possibilities of stress accumulation. The workforce can also be increased so as to reduce the demand and permit highlight flexible working hours. Lastly, the provision of incentives and promotions are more likely to keep the employees in these occupations focused, lessening the work-related stress risks. Stress Management Intervention Efficient exploitation of the employees compels organizations to erect effective structures for stress management intervention to foster maximum productivity and diminish the negative impacts associated with workplace stress. Based on the origins of occupational stress, response measures can be developed (Slee, 1995). Businesses should ensure that the employees are provided with safe working conditions to reduce the impact of environmental stressors. This can be achieved through the observation of safety job requirements such as the provision of protective clothing and training to avert possible accidents. Instead of a random recruitment process, companies should engage the employees on a contractual basis to address the factor of job security. Encouraging the workers to take advantage of professional development programs offered by the unions, companies or the government is significant. Professional development programs enhance the professional competence of the employees, reducing the challenges faced due to the insufficient expertise and knowledge to complete specific tasks. Additionally, organizations should have human resource managers to enhance the efficiency of time management and delegation approaches (Hatch et al., 2011). Human resource managers can also handle the welfare of the employees on behalf of the organization. Instead of advocating for overtime schedules, it is vital to consider increasing the workforce to increase the accuracy in time management and delegation further. Where necessary, the employees should be provided with health professional services to deal with the affected individuals. Organizational structure and the communication channels should be reevaluated on a regular basis to determine their effectiveness in facilitating the efficient flow of information and the command structure. Psychosocial Stressors Psychosocial stress is based on a personal cognitive appraisal, in which a person evaluates the perceived social risks in life, and establishes that the desires are beyond the available resources. Thus, the stressors, such as social-esteem, social status, respect, and self-worth are some of the psychosocial stressors (Hatch et al., 2011). Usually, favorable psychosocial environment promotes personal and professional development, along with the mental and physical health of the employees. Workers are prone to stress due to the occupational pressure, increasing the susceptibility of prolonged stress which leads to health complications such as musculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular illness (Hurley, 2007). The organizations are adversely impacted due to the psychosocial stressors leading poor performance due to presenteeism, as well as absenteeism. Therefore, psychosocial stressors are perceived as a major problem in the modern workplaces since it affects the well-being of the employees, diminishing their productivity degrees. The labor laws prevent organizations from firing a person due to their health conditions as it amounts to discrimination (Beattie and Griffin, 2014). Therefore, psychosocial stressors affecting the health of the workers may force them to show at work when sick, distracting them from performing their dues as required. Firefighters and a significant number of white collar occupations are vulnerable to psychosocial stressors. Conclusion Briefly, workplace stress negatively affects the social and economic features of the workers, as well as business organizations. This form of stress occurs when the employees are subjected to the responsibilities that outstrip their professional capabilities, along with the available resources. Contemporary companies have been forced to incur massive losses due to work-stress compensations. Thus, it is paramount to consider effective measures on how to prevent these implications. The primary foundations of occupational stress are the working environment, the occupation nature, and work relations. However, some workers perceive work-related stress as a challenge in a positive way (eustress), while others in a negative way (distress). The difference between work-related eustress and distress is mainly based on individual personalities and the nature of the occupation. The human services industry is associated with a high risk of work-related stress due to the different expectations of the employer, the clients, and supervisors. Strong organizational structures that address the needs and concerns of the clients are important in managing work-related stress. Psychosocial stressors are widely viewed as a trial to the modern businesses since they significantly affect the productivity of the employees along with the organizational performance. Reference List Beattie, L. and Griffin, B. (2014). Day-level fluctuations in stress and engagement in response to workplace incivility: A diary study. Work & Stress, pp.1-19. Betterhealth.vic.gov.au. (2017). Work-related stress. [online] Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/work-related-stress [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. Hatch, P., Winefield, H., Christie, B. and Lievaart, J. (2011). Workplace stress, mental health, and burnout of veterinarians in Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal, 89(11), pp.460-468. Hurley, M. (2007). Managing stress in the workplace. Nursing Management, 14(3), pp.16-18. Kato, T. (2014). Coping with Workplace Interpersonal Stress among Japanese Employees. Stress and Health, 31(5), pp.411-418. Slee, P. (1995). Sources of stress in Australian families and characteristics of stress resilient children. Children Australia, 20(02), pp.14-17. Tompkins, O. (2009). Secondhand Noise and Stress. Workplace Health & Safety, 57(10), pp.436-436. worksafe.vic.gov.au. (2016). Preventing and managing work-related stress - A guidebook for employers. [online] Available at: http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/193038/WorkSafe-Employer-Stress-Guidebook-web.pdf [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. Read More