...STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE: CAUSES, EFFECTS AND HOW WE COPE Introduction In a world of constant technological and industrial advancement on a daily basis it seems, one would expect that our lives should be easier than say 30, 40, or 50 years ago. Internet access, computer and other advancements have certainly made our lives easier in some ways, but one thing that hasn’t happened is a decrease in stress. It seems the more we have the more we want, and the more we do not achieve what we want, the more stressed we become, in our personal and professional lives. Employers have always been faced with the challenge of finding the perfect employees, just as individuals are searching for the perfect place of employment. Part of this is not only the potential candidate’s personality, and how they will handle a particular job and its responsibilities; but part of the challenge is provide incentives and benefits that will entice the perfect employees. Stress can be a major factor in any job situation and not only is it an issue of how an individual handles stress, but also how an employer combats stress in the workplace through different protocols or benefits provided to the employees. The focus of this paper will be stress in our workplace environments. Causes There are many causes of stresses (or stressors) in the workplace, no matter what trade, industry or profession one considers. The stressors however will be specific to the job. There can...
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...Stress and the Work Environment When it comes to stress, women today are juggling more obligations than in the past and feeling the strain. Job pressure, heavy workloads, time management, and other work issues can cause negative responses both physically and emotionally. Defining the word stress is the beginning of understanding and believing there is a problem. Once it is understood, changes can be made to lessen stress and allow the female employee the tools to be successful in the working environment. The definition of stress according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is: d : a state resulting from a stress; especially : one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium <job-related stress> According to Rabin (2010), women who are stressed at work, have a 40 percent increase in cardiovascular disease over all, and an 88 percent increase in risk for heart attacks alone. There is a clear need for stress management and employers to understand in this case there is no equality between the sexes. Stress at work is becoming serious, Tyson (2006), it is estimated that each year 9.1 million workdays are lost due to stress. There is growing evidence that not only can stress cause cardiovascular disease, it can cause anxiety disorder, social isolation, and burn out among other issues. According to the website National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH): Gender-specific work stress factors...
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...Stress Management in the Workplace What I Learned about Stress Management and How to Manage the Stress in the Workplace Jonathon Redone MGT 301 – CL01 Theodore Finney April 24, 2010 It is three o’clock on a Friday, and it will be three-day weekend and you plan on going to a vacation resort with your family when your supervisor comes into your office and tells you that they have an emergency project and that you and your team need to come in over the weekend and work on this project that is due first thing when the weekend is over. As the supervisor, it is your job to take that news to your team and tell them that information. Obviously this will cause stress on you, your family, and team. It will cause stress on your family because this was a planned tripped and they were looking forward to going on the trip. It will cause stress on your team because this is a last minute notice and your team may have plans for the three-day weekend. It will cause stress for you because you have to tell the bad news to your family and your team. Hopefully that stress will not over take you and cause any hardship on your physical and mental being. People spend a lot of time at work, whether it is to do the normal day-to-day work, overtime, or just spending some extra time just to catch up. The time that is spent at work is not normally care-free or easy, but can cause some work anxiety which in turn can cause stress. Stress can be mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting...
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...Outline and Evaluate the relationship between the workplace and stress Many people believe work affects their health. Defining what is stressful in the workplace is not easy, because individuals react quite differently to the same situation. However, some common factors have been found in many workers that cause them stress and in some cases lead to illness. These include the level of control they have (low control = stress), the amount of workload they have (high workload = stress) and role conflict (getting the work life balance right). The job-strain model of workplace stress suggests that the workplace creates stress and illness in two ways, through high workload (putting pressure on people to work harder) and low job control (e.g. over deadlines and procedures). Marmot tested this model by studying 7372 civil servants. They were asked to fill in a questionnaire on workload, job control and how much social support they received. They were also checked for signs of cardiovascular disease (e.g. chest pains). Five years later they were then re-assessed to see if those who reported difficulties also had more severe heart disease. They found that for workload and stress there was no link. However, for job control and social support there was a link. The lowest grade civil servants had both low job control and poor social support and had the highest level of cardiovascular problems. In contrast the higher-grade civil servants expressed a high level of job control and...
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...Summary Stress is a term we all are aware of, and it is experienced by people in their different workplaces. Stress in the workplace is detrimental to human health and organization when it comes to productivity, performance standards and job satisfaction. Organizations whose workers are stressed are likely to be successful in a competitive market. Workers who are stressed are more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive and less safe at work. Stress can be destructive in a way that, after reaching a certain point, the performance of the employees begins to reduce also which prevents fulfillment of work and various assignments. The following are the causes of stress in the workplace; Exhaustion (weakens the employees mentally and physically), moral injury (destructive of self-esteem of employees or lack of confidence in their abilities, discrimination), illness of the employees (feeling of irritation, uncertainty, guilt or mistrust), violence (damage to the property of the employees or organization), long hours, lack of rewards or incentives by the managers and managers lackadaisical attitude to employees. Stress can be brought to a minimal level; to prevent stress, we have to identify, know the causes and prevent it. The reduction or elimination of stress are the employee’s participation in the management, improvement of communication skills of managers, adequate training should be given to employees in other to prevent negligence of training which...
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...Workplace stress is the “harmful physical and emotional responses that can happen when there is a conflict between job demands on the employee and the amount of control an employee has over meeting these demands.” (“Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety,” 2008) Workplace stress could be caused by fear of being laid off or pressure to perform meeting expectations. Whatsoever the cause may be, there are companies or government organization program that offers services as a part of benefits to employees. The aim of this paper is to discuss the different methods the human resource management can help employees to overcome workplace stress and how the various elements of the stress reduction program addresses the six areas of organizational life which are amount of workload, amount of control, rewards system, interaction with a sense of community, fairness and values. Two journal articles are analyzed in this paper. The first article is the main focus of this paper because it illustrates the workplace of a man named Alan Logan who works at Huntington Hospital, the article is by Tyler (2006) on “stress management”. The second article is by Sidle (2008) on “workplace stress management interventions: what works best?” Occupational stressors can result from job dissatisfaction to work environment. Most people who are not satisfied with their jobs for reasons such as the salary or the condition of the workplace tend to get frustrated easily which causes workplace...
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...webinar “Stress in the Workplace: meeting the challenge” co-sponsored by the national Women’s Health Resource center, the leading independent health information source for women. this white paper offers comprehensive research about the causes and impact of workplace stress, its role in lost productivity and higher healthcare costs and includes the effects of job stress on women workers. the research also reviews successful organizational and individual strategies to help manage stress and reduce costs. Following these strategies can help reduce absenteeism and turnover, help employees better balance work/life responsibilities, and also reduce healthcare costs. about health aDVocate™, inc. Health Advocate, inc., the nation’s leading independent healthcare advocacy and assistance company, serves more than 5,000 clients nationwide, providing more than 15 million Americans with personalized help to resolve healthcare and insurance-related issues. the company offers a spectrum of advocacy, Wellness, Pricing decision Support and Human Resources solutions to help save time and money. the company also offers a direct-to-consumer advocacy service, called Health Proponent ®, to individuals who are not part of groups. For more information, contact Health Advocate (toll-free) at: 1-866-385-8033, prompt #2 or via email at info@HealthAdvocate.com. st r e ss i n t he wor k p l a c e t me e t ing t he chal l en g e he alarming spike in the incidence of reported stress among employees...
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...Stress Management in the Workplace The Stress Management in the Workplace training program delivers trademarked stress management tools that are unmatched in the measured results they will produce for you and your organization. Stress management in the workplace requires more than helpful tips. Changing economic times have us pulled in multiple directions. The pressures and demands between work and personal life are blurred. As a result, the consequences of stress in the workplace come from what is happening to each of us both on and off the job. Through highly interactive learning, participants apply these stress management training tools to getting more of what's important to them done in less time. Organizational skills are improved so that less things "fall through the cracks." A realistic and positive Big Picture view is instilled that helps keep all stresses in perspective. Specific practical tools are learned that produce immediate results. Applications have a positive impact on stress levels both on and off the job. In many countries, employers have a legal responsibility to recognise and deal with stress in the workplace so that employees do not become physically or mentally ill. It is important to tackle the causes of stress in the workplace as stress at work can lead to problems for the individual, working relationships and the overall working environment. These issues may include lowered self-esteem and poor concentration skills for the employee. The employer...
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...The Stress Management Program for Best Buy INTRODUCTION The anxious feelings, sweaty palms, wondering how you will get everything done on time, wondering when you will see your family in between the long work hours, dealing with a micro-managing supervisor or unproductive co-workers that push their work on to you, or even the peer that says they enjoy deadlines! These are all depictions of what we call “stress”. While a certain amount of stress is needed to motivate individuals into action, called eustress, when an individual experiences anxiety and physical tension as demands are placed on them which exceed their abilities to cope, distress occurs (McShane & Von Glinow, 2008). Stress in the workplace is becoming a major concern for employees, employers, managers and government agencies. Workplace stress can be defined as the change in one’s physical or mental state in response to workplaces that pose an appraised challenge or threat to that employee (Colligan & Higgins, 2005). Stress research pioneer, Hans Selye, determined that people have a fairly consistent physiological response to stressful situations, called the general adaptation syndrome, providing an automatic defense system to help us cope with environmental demands (McShane & Von Glinow, 2008). More specifically, the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome: alarm (alerts the person to the situation and prepares for the resistance stage), resistance (shut down of the body’s immune system...
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...Stress in the Workplace Do I have to go to work tomorrow? This is the question on most Americans minds on Sunday evening while they are enjoying the last few hours of the weekend. Just the thought of getting up early the next morning and having to go into work can cause some unhappy thoughts! A lot of this is due to being stressed in the workplace due to powerlessness which is not having control over certain situations and being the in between person, not being in the ideal position that they’d like to be in, having to deal with traumatic events, and the type of setting and environment that they work in. Then, in this economy, workers have to deal with the stress of even keeping their jobs and having job security until retirement. When working with the feeling of powerlessness, they are often stressed due to the fact that they have no control over the schedule of events and deadlines that they need to meet. Having to make a presentation for your boss at the last minute or being the person to call and inform every one of the meeting that your boss is having can be very stressful. Secretaries and waitresses are often among those with a highly stressed occupation. They feel as if they have too much responsibility and too little power to change things the way they see fit, which can become frustrating. Another reason for stress in the workplace is because some people are simply not happy with the position that they are in. Some people only take a job for the paycheck...
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...Effective Strategies for Managing Stress in the Workplace In today’s uncertain economic times, stress in the workplace is taking its toll on managers and employees from Wall Street to Main Street. Dealing with stress regarding budget cuts, possible layoffs, diversity issues, personality conflicts, and a wide range of other concerns can cause serious implications in the workplace. Identifying potential stressors early on is crucial to the well-being of employees. This review provides strategies that management can utilize in order to obtain balance in the office. Taking steps to avert or ease tension in the workplace is key to the overall success of an organization. According to Webster’s Dictionary (2005), stress is defined as mental or physical tension (p.638). This definition encompasses a wide range of possibilities. The reality is that stress is a part of everyday life. All of us experience some form of stress on a daily basis. Unhealthy levels of stress can have serious implications in the office if issues are unresolved. Fortunately, there are warning signs: loss of confidence, irritability, decrease in productivity, and an increase in sick/personal days. Personality differences among employees can lead to a tense and less productive work environment. Differences in race, gender, religious conviction, sexual orientation, and age can cause fear and uneasiness among employees. These feelings are often associated with confusion or powerlessness. Diversity and sensitivity...
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...Causes of Workplace Stress There are many factors that can exacerbate the causes of stress in the workplace. The challenges faced by people in the workplace make the job more exciting and interesting. However, there are challenges that can also have negative effects. The normal reaction to stress is tension, anxiety and excitement and work-life goes back to normal after a while. If however, the stress becomes overwhelming or if it happens too often, there can be a problem getting back to the normal state and one is no longer able to relax. The most common causes of stress in the workplace are the following: • Demands at work become too extreme or excessive • There is disproportion between the workload and the abilities of the employees • Fear for security of employment as a result of massive layoffs • Ineffective management which makes employees feel they are in a dead end • Dealing with reorganizations in the workplace • Dealing with workplace bullies • Dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace • Information overload which causes mental stress • A poor physical working environment • Employees who fear they will be declared as redundant Demands can be seen as a result of technological advances that make work more efficient but in the end, eventually require employees to perform more tasks. This is the contemporary cause of workplace stress. Expansion of technology demands that workers constantly perform near their peak, be competitive and constantly...
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...Introduction: The nature of the job in every organization consumes human being’s energy. Moreover, the technology development increased the stress in people life, and the situation has become harder. In meaning, job stress influence negatively on employee’s life inside the organization in several aspects. One of them is the psychology which plays a main role on employee’s performance. Furthermore, anxious mind cannot help to finish exercises perfectly. Also, sometimes, organizations fall to determine the threat points which are the reasons of effectiveness on their employees. They forgot to join psychological reasons in the problems.in addition. We will try to cover on some hypothetical factors which are related to the problem. Therefore,...
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...There are many things that contribute to increased stress in the workplace. These stressors include a lack of understanding or weak policies against all forms of violence, lack of prevention education for managers, and slow reactions to threatened or initial violence. Additionally, lack of organizational support systems and neglect in employee training and retention policies contribute to workplace stressors ("7 Factors that Drastically Increase Workplace Violence," 2011). Overall these factors can impact the workplace by reduced productivity, mental and physical health concerns, and eventually employees may even leave the organization. The speaker in the ABC news report "Resolving Workplace Conflicts" provides suggestions directly to...
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...High levels of stress currently affect the Canadian work force. We will explore a contrast between Great Britain’s and Canada’s workplace causes of stress and industries that provide most stress within the two nations. We will also identify some Canadian companies strategies to assist their employees with managing stress. Throughout this research it will become evident the importance of taking responsibility for managing stress to maintain a healthy work life balance. It is also important to recognize the impact of advancement in communication tools and their positive and negative impact towards work related stress. Different cultures and nations can experience similar stressors but also have unique stress contributing factors and industries. Employee stress in Great Britain and Canada According to the Health and Safety Executive (Buckley, 2013, p. 6-7), Great Britain has a total of 10.4 million working days lost between 2011 and 2012, as compared to Canada of 100 million in 2010 alone (Langton, N., & Robbins, S.P. & Judge, T., 2013, p. 122-129). Data shows the main stressors in Great Britain are workload, lack of managerial support, and violence/bullying (Buckley, 2013, p. 6-7). Canadians tend to stress over job security, technological change, workload, managerial/co-worker support and personal life balance (textbook). When comparing this data, the Canadian workforce appear to struggle with more stressors, one key cause is personal life affecting work life and vice versa...
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