Causes, Effects and Management of Stress at the Workplace
Job stress is the detrimental physical and psychological responses that result from job demands that exceed a workers resources, capabilities, and needs (“Stress in the workplace,” 2009). In most cases, stress increases healthcare costs and reduces productivity. The causes and effects of work-related stress can be countered using individual and organizational strategies, which include assertiveness and training. Stress is caused by the content or demands of the job and the organizational needs or objectives. Organizational stress arises from heavy work overloads and issues with job security. In regards to job security, inadequate staff capabilities can affect their development, which leads to reduced productivity and high healthcare and insurance costs (“Stress in the workplace,” 2009).
Stress leads to adverse psychological and physical effects. Specifically, stress affects the health of workers, and in extreme cases, it may lead to mental exhaustion, which breeds poor concentration, low morale levels, and long-term physical ailments. Adverse effects of stress increase health care costs which impact on the worker and organization’s bottom line.
Organizational approaches to stress management can counter the effects of stress. Managing stress requires organizational involvement through assessing the associated risks. Primarily, organizations can employ both structural and psychological strategies to control the impact of stress. Combining structural measures such as work schedules and setting priorities with psychological techniques, such workers’ participation in decision-making processes, mitigate stressors (“Stress in the workplace,” 2009).
Furthermore, individual interventions can counter stress. These interventions include training and offering of one to one psychological services, for example, counselling, clinical and occupational services. Training in the form of stress management workshops and learning good coping strategies such as physical activity and interpersonal communication can play crucial roles in addressing stress. These help workers acquire the necessary skills and resources to change the situation.
Workplace stress arises from job and organization contexts. They lead to adverse physical and psychological effects that require individual and organizational techniques to counter. Work overloads and poor skills lead to fatigue and job dissatisfaction. These aspects affect productivity, workers morale, and diminish bottom line of an organization.
References
“Stress in the workplace: Meeting the challenge” (2009). Health Advocate Inc. Retrieved June 2016, from <www.healthadvocate.com/downloads/webinars/stress-workplace.pdf>
