The Impact of Stress on Jobs and the Workplace

Prepared for:
Mr. Glenn Pace
Webster University
Truman Education Center
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Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
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Prepared By:
Mrs. Betty Downing
5 March 2012

Introduction: There is an overwhelming concern in today’s society about stress on the job and in the workplace and how that will carry over to a person’s home life. Stress has taken an immense toll on the physical and emotional health of individuals, as well as the bottom lines of organizations (Greenhaus, Callanan, Godshalk, 2010). Stress can be the number one problem for working individuals, many of whom are trying to juggle everything at one time such as home, caring for children or aging family members, and work. The human brain has an inherit response for perceived attacks, harm or threats to ourselves that is known as the “fight or flight” response. With constant stress situations at work an individual will make a decision to either fight or flee the environment. There is no getting around it stress is going to be in the workplace but the issue is determining if the stressor is a positive or negative factor for employees is the matter to be dealt with. Afterwards people need to learn how to manage the stress therefore maximizing their job performance while also being able to preserve both their mental and physical health. What organizations need to start addressing is how to cope and reduce the amount of stress placed on individuals and how also to deal with the affects it will have on the job performances. The definition of stress is an interaction between individuals and any source of demand or stressor that is within that person’s environment. There are several stressors that can occur from either within the workplace or from outside the workplace that affect an individual; Stressors from within the workplace * Career Concerns/Transitions * Interpersonal Relationships * Job Demands * Role Characteristics * Organizational Characteristics * Working Conditions

Stressors from outside the workplace * Concerns About the Economy * Concerns about Family * Concerns about Society * Interpersonal Relationships * Role Characteristics

Types of Stress: In each of these factors an individual can get to a point of complete and total meltdown and the organization will suffer the aftermath of the meltdown. There are a number of studies and surveys done every year to confirm the impact that occupational pressures and fears are the number one leading source of stress in working adults. It has also been noted that these stressors are increasing every year. Although some stress is always going to be normal in the workplace, the amount of stress placed upon us can start to interfere with productivity and then eventually start to affect a person’s health and mental wellbeing. Stress can be categorized into three groups based on the severity of it. They are as follows: Mild stress: this type of stress is the most common form and is not a treat to the individual or the organization. It has not been known to be harmful to individual’s health and furthermore has been found to be beneficial in some cases. A deadline to meet or the thought of a new promotion coming up may put a little stress on employees but not in the way as to harm them. This type of stress can be found in most organizations and individuals who have the desire to excel. Acute stress: this type of stress is much more serious and has been known to affect an individual’s health and wellbeing also can be found to have effects on productivity for the organization. This form of stress can come on from budget cuts, too high a workload or an overbearing management team. This type of stress builds from mild stress to acute with no release in sight and therefore the overwhelming feeling of failure is too much for the individual. Chronic stress: this type of stress is at the top of the list and can lead to a total meltdown or burnout of the employee. As stress moves from mild to acute and then to chronic with no release value being offered an individual can no longer manage with the stress placed upon them and therefore shut down. At this point the signs of chronic stress can range from over drinking or eating to complete loose of caring for themselves or the situation they are in. All these forms of stress can be seen in a person through psychological and physiological issues. On the psychological side a person may have feelings of resent, guilt or even the loose of self esteem. All these issues are mental issues and with the constant build up of stress people will find it hard to deal with problems from both work and/or home. The physiological side is a person’s health and wellbeing such as weight gain or lose, fatigue, blood pressure, ulcers, and even heart attack. The numerous studies that have been done to examine job stress have come up with the same numbers in the common American employee: * 40% of workers report their job is “very or extremely stressful”. With 1/3 of them viewing their job as the number one stressor in their life. * 26% of workers report they are “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work * 29% of employees feel “extremely stressed at work” * 80% of employees feel stress on the job. ½ of them don’t know how to manage it. * Women are 60% more likely to suffer from job stress than men
Impact of Job Stress on Your Health/Organization: When people have gotten to the point of no return with stress in the workplace the performance and productivity of the organization will start to suffer. This numbing out phase can be seen in employees in all types of organizations. From the waitress who takes your order while never looking at your face or smiling, to the front desk clerk who answers the phone with a monotone voice or the managers who treat their employees with little to no respect. Work related stress will affect not only an organizations bottom line but also their pocket books in terms of rising disability payments and medical bill payouts. Not to mention lost workdays, turnover and workers compensation payouts. The numbing effect is going to start to hurt more than just the interpersonal realm of the organizations performance. It will affect all different aspects of the company such as safety, decision-making and innovation. When an employee’s thinking is impaired they put themselves and everyone else at risk for mistakes and serious accidents. They are also less likely to make sound decisions for the organization and their creative mind will be out of commission for the time being. A major component such as “thinking outside the box” will be lost in an organization where the employees are under a great deal of work stress. This will hinder an organization with a loss of creativity and innovation. In an experiment performed by Dr. Pennebaker, subjects wrote about whatever was going on in their mind - their "stream of consciousness." One group was subjected to a loud noise in the middle of the exercise and told there was nothing they could do about it; they had to "grin and bear it." The other group was subjected to the same loud noise in the middle of the exercise, but they were told they could have the noise stopped if they chose (Lee, 2008). The group that had no control demonstrated a significant deterioration in their thought process during and after the noise. Their thinking became unemotional, unimaginative, and dull. It was as if they became temporarily dumb in order to endure the stressful situation. Even more interesting was the other group's response. Although they were told they could stop the noise if they needed to, not one person chose to do so. Therefore, they experienced the same amount of unpleasant noise as the group which was not given the option. Despite being subjected to the same amount of obnoxious noise, their thought process remained unaffected. They engaged in deep, reflective, creative thought (Lee, 2008). So we can assume that the obnoxious music had nothing to do with the negative outcome of the subjects but the lack of control over the situation that was the issue. It does not matter how you meant an individual to take a situation but how they perceive it that matters and therefore if they perceive a loose of control that matters.

Managing Job Stress: Unfortunately there is really no cure for work stress there are several ways that an individual can manage the amount of stress placed upon them and also how they handle the stress. According to Dr. Randall S Hansen there are 10 steps that an individual can take to help manage the onset of stress in the workplace: 1) Put it in perspective. Jobs are disposable. Your friends, families, and health are not. If your employer expects too much of you, and it's starting to take its toll on you, start looking for a new job/new employer. 2) Modify your job situation. If you really like your employer, but the job has become too stressful (or too boring), ask about tailoring your job to your skills. And if you got promoted into a more stressful position that you just are not able to handle, ask about a lateral transfer -- or even a transfer back to your old job (if that's what you want). 3) Get time away. If you feel the stress building, take a break. Walk away from the situation, perhaps walking around the block, sitting on a park bench, taking in a little meditative time. Exercise does wonders for the psyche. But even just finding a quiet place and listening to your iPod can reduce stress. 4) Fight through the clutter. Taking the time to organization your desk or workspace can help ease the sense of losing control that comes from too much clutter. Keeping a to-do list -- and then crossing things off it -- also helps. 5) Talk it out. Sometimes the best stress-reducer is simply sharing your stress with someone close to you. The act of talking it out -- and getting support and empathy from someone else -- is often an excellent way of blowing of steam and reducing stress. Have a support system of trusted people. 6) Cultivate allies at work. Just knowing you have one or more co-workers who are willing to assist you in times of stress will reduce your stress level. Just remember to reciprocate and help them when they are in need. 7) Find humor in the situation. When you -- or the people around you -- start taking things too seriously, find a way to break through with laughter. Share a joke or funny story. 8) Have realistic expectations. While Americans are working longer hours, we can still only fit so much work into one day. Having unrealistic expectations for what you can accomplish sets you up for failure -- and increased stress. 9) Nobody is perfect. If you are one of those types that obsess over every detail and micromanage to make sure "everything is perfect," you need to stop. Change your motto to performing your best, and leave perfection to the gods. 10) Maintain a positive attitude (and avoid those without one). Negativism sucks the energy and motivation out of any situation, so avoid it whenever possible. Instead, develop a positive attitude -- and learn to reward yourself for little accomplishments (even if no one else does).

Conclusion: The truth is there will always be stress a person’s life whether it is at home or in the workplace. The question is whether the stressor is a positive or negative one and how manageable is the stress. Some stress has been shown to be positive and developmental while other stressors are destructive to both the indiviual and the organization. To ensure a high performance organization management teams are going to have to understand how stress affects each employee in terms of emotional, intellectual and interpersonal. People need to understand that the position they are in is just a job and therefore it can be replaced. We may sit and think “this is the only job I will ever find with good…” but this is never really the case. Everything is replaceable and therefore a job is not worth dying over.

Works Cited
Greenhaus, Jeffrey H., Gerard A. Callanan, and Veronica M. Godshalk. Career Management. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2010. Print.
Hansen, Randell S. "Managing Job Stress: 10 Strategies for Coping and Thriving." Quintessential Careers: College, Careers, and Jobs Guide. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. http://www.quintcareers.com/managing_job_stress.html.
Lee, David. "ARTICLES & REPORTS." Employee Stress and Performance. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. http://www.humannatureatwork.com/Workplace-Stress-2.htm.
Shahu, Rashmi. "Effect of Job Stress and Job Satisfaction on Performance: An Empirical Study." SlideShare. Sept. 2008. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. http://www.slideshare.net/ridhsi/effect-of-job-stress-and-job-satisfaction-on- performance-an-empirical-study.
Rosch, Paul J. "Job Stress." American Institute of Stress Is Dedicated to Advancing Understanding of Stress in Health and Illness. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. http://www.stress.org/job.htm.