LO5 - Workplace Stress

• Workplace stress 


  is the harmful physical and emotional responses that can happen when there is a conflict between

  job demands of the employee and the amount of control the employee has over meeting those demands.
• Stress Management​


  • Now part of manager/employee vocabulary​
  • Ways of dealing with the problem of stress
• Symptoms of Workplace Stress​

  • Nervousness; chronic worry; easily provoked​
  • Unable to relax​
  • Stress-related physical ailments (e.g., stomach) upsets, cardiovascular disease​
  • Musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., back injuries)​
  • Psychological disorders (e.g., depression)
• CAUSES OF WORKPLACE STRESS

  1. ​Factors unique to the job​
  2. Role in the organization​
  3. Career development​
  4. ​Relationships at work​
  5. Organizational climate​

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• FACTORS UNIQUE TO THE JOB

  • Workload/pace, autonomy shift work, physical environment, isolation​
• ROLE IN THE ORGANIZATION

  • Role conflict/role ambiguity, level of responsibility​
• CAREER DEVELOPMENT


  • Includes under- or over-promotion, job security, overall job satisfaction​
• RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK

  • Includes supervisors/co-workers/subordinates, threat of violence or harassment​
• ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE


  • Participation (or not) in decision-making, management style, communication patterns​
• Burnout 


  is a condition of mental, emotional, and sometimes physical exhaustion that results from substantial and prolonged stress.
• presenteeism


  describes an employee who is able to come to work but is inhibited from achieving optimal levels of productivity due to ongoing health issues
• Stress and Job Performance​


  • Can be helpful or harmful depending on amount of stress experienced​
  • When there is no stress, job challenges are absent and performance tends to be low
• Curative methods​


  • Try to correct the outcomes of stress (e.g., availability of exercise, counselling services)
• Preventive measures​


  • Attempt to change the cause of stress (e.g., stress management training)
• Stress Audit​


  • Identifies the causes of stress
• HR Actions to Reduce Stress​

  1. Compatible​ workload​
  2. Job design
  3. Define roles
  4. Participate in decisions
  5. Social Interaction
  6. Workout schedules
  7. Provide training
  8. Establish policy
• Mental health costs the Canadian economy about $50 billion a year and $6 billion annually for lost productivity resulting from mental health absenteeism.
• Approximately 6.7 million Canadians have a mental health problem or illness
• About half a million Canadians are absent in any given week as a result of mental health issues
• Around 30% of disability claims and 70% of disability costs are attributable to mental illness
• Fitness and Employee Wellness Programs​

  • Improve employee health​
  • Decrease health care costs​
  • Improve employee satisfaction​
  • Decrease absenteeism and turnover​
  • Improve corporate image​
  • Reduce disability claims​
• Other Contemporary Safety Issues​


  • Workplace Violence and Security​
  • Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)​
  • Ergonomics
• Sick building syndrome


  is used to describe situations in which employees

  experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to the length of time spent in a building but no specific illness or cause can be

  identified.
• Ergonomics

  An area of health and safety that is attracting more attention.

  (also known as human factors engineering).