- Introduction
- Some of the Facts
- Stress has Been Linked With
- Myths and Realities
- Types of Stress
- Recognition of Stress
- Stress Management Options
Introduction
Employers are rightly concerned about the increasing status of “Workplace Stress”, as evidenced by recent court cases and articles in safety publications. There is, more importantly, the proposed accommodation of stress and fatigue in the definitions of “harm” and “hazard” in the 2001 Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill.
The natural reaction for many managers is to view this increasingly high profile issue as another costly burden and consign it to the impenetrable world of “political correctness”. Too difficult to understand, let alone manage. Bend over, here it comes again!
But pause for a moment. A study of the facts, which includes papers, discussions and guidelines from the-
Up to 70% of doctors visits may be stress-related (Canadian study)
-
80% of employees worldwide report work-related stress
-
Occupational Overuse Syndrome
- Absenteeism
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Aggression/Irritability
- Increased blood pressure
- Heart Disease
- Depression
Seen in the wider context, stress starts to lose some mystique and take on some all too recognisable forms, some of which we may see in our own lives. The reality is that, in all probability, most, if not all workplaces are affected by stress to a significant level.
It has become the norm to run organisations lean, expect long hours, set high expectations on employees and drive every last bit of use out of them. Often, they agree, apparently willingly, in the name of financial security or career prospects. The gains may only be short term. In the longer term, the environment may become counter productive as stressors build up.
[ Return to Top ]- Stress is a mental illness. Wrong. Stress is the natural reaction people have to excessive pressures or situations they perceive they are unable to cope with.
- Stress only happens to wimps. Wrong. It can happen to anyone, depending on the particular circumstances. It could happen to you given the wrong conditions. Preventing it is good for business.
- Just send them for counselling. Wrong. Counselling is like a bandage over a wound. It may help, but doesn't cure the cause. Research has shown that "front line" support (in-house) is better than third party intervention.
- There's nothing employers can do. Wrong. You can't always see stress or measure it, but if you ignore it, it won't go away. You probably have a good idea of where the problems are already. It's just that you haven't given it a name before.
Examples:
- Do you really want those workers on 12 hour shifts?
- Is it healthy and productive to load your people so hard they work nights and weekends?
- Why has Department A such a record of bitchiness and non co-operation?
- Manager B is irritable and hard on his staff. You know full well he is incompetent, and it's causing no end of employee problems.
- Why does employee C have so much sickness, injury and bad time-keeping?
Does this start to look like an opportunity yet? By seeing some of these problems in terms of their underlying causes, we have the chance to address them openly, instead of turning a blind eye.
[ Return to Top ]Types of Stress:
To
assist in understanding this issue, it is useful to
categorise the types and causes of stress:
Intrinsic to the job - Where stress is in effect a condition of employment – e.g. police, social services, air traffic control, or any activity with sustained physical effort
Conditional on the response of Employers– e.g. long hours, arbitrary targets, negative changes to employment conditions,
Consensual by employees with acceptance by employer– Employees choose to expose themselves to stress. Can be due to personality type, social factors (e.g. loyalty, economic need), emotional factors (e.g. fear of failure)
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Recognition of Stress:
This is
not yet a science. Some of the more obvious effects
are listed above, however, by the time these symptoms
have shown, the battle has already been lost.
Risk Factors:
The
- an excessive or insufficient intensity and duration of physical and mental effort
- physiologically demanding or hazardous environment, climate, noise, ergonomics
- excess or insufficient mental emotional demands, responsibilities, worries, conflicts and social interactions
- illness, pain, disturbed circadian rhythm
- organisational demands of work, including shift work
So, what can we do to identify stress in the work-place?
Some Options:
- Be open about the issue. Distribute publications, notices, signs. Provide a confidential “contact person” who is seen as trustworthy. Discuss stress in your newsletters. De-mystify it and treat it as a normal occupational risk. Encourage further discussion and reporting.
- If you know stress is inherent in your organisation, or a particular department/function, list it on the hazard register, with appropriate control measures listed. Treat stress as any other hazard. Be serious about control measures. Monitor regularly to ensure the controls remain effective.
- Put it on the agenda at Safety Committees and even routine meetings.
- Ask all employees to answer a simple questionnaire annually. Don’t worry about the ones who fail to reply as long as you have provided a variety of other avenues and the confidentiality is assured. You can’t force this one.
- Look for the personality types. Those who work long and late, who take on the extra roles and responsibilities and drive themselves. They may also be the quiet ones.
- Look under the surface. If behaviours are consistently showing strains such as absenteeism, turnover, poor relations between group members etc, don't blame this just on personalities. This may be only part of the cause.
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The following work-related restorative processes have been identified:
- Ability to complete tasks and move on
- Perception of the ability to resolve problems
- Supportive relationships
- Progress towards worthwhile goals
- The opportunity to do high-quality work
- The prospect of advancement and training
The following non work restorative processes are also important:
- Recuperative sleep
- Rest and relaxation
- Healthy nutrition
- Good health and fitness
- Supportive
friendships or relationships
Addressing
these factors, using a longer term vision and a belief
in the value of people, rather than their short term
dispensability, will create a more productive environment.
The
phenomenon of Stress, like Occupational Overuse Syndrome,
is here to stay and we should be aware that these two
conditions may well be linked, both with each other
and many other familiar symptoms. Our pace of life
and expectations for progress, income and achievement
are combining together to provide us with new manifestations
of problems that have been with us for centuries.
Bob Cratchett probably suffered from stress (and OOS). Fortunately, Ebenezer Scrooge got onto it in the nick of time. The book ended before we got to hear about the huge productivity improvement after Boxing Day. Perhaps Dickens should have put that bit in.
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