How is workplace stress different from general stress

In general, this creates an environment of stress around the office. Although it is easy to pinpoint the causes of stress in life, it is not as simple to narrow down the effects. Understanding what stress is lets us see how it can negatively affect both the mental and physical health of employees.

The nervous system is put on alert, and hormones are released that sharpen senses, increase pulse, deepen respiration, and tense muscles. It is biologically programmed, which means humans have little or no control over it. When stressful situations are ongoing or unresolved, this response is constantly activated, causing wear and tear on different biological systems.

Eventually, fatigue occurs and the immune system is weakened. This increases the risk of disease or injury. In recent decades, researchers have studied the relationship between job stress and physical illness. Examples include sleep disturbances, upset stomach, and headache, as well as compromised relationships with family and friends.

Other symptoms include:. These signs are easy to recognize, but the effects of stress on chronic diseases are less obvious because these ailments develop over time and can be caused by many different factors. Being under stress for prolonged periods of time can have serious consequences. It sometimes leads to burnout, when someone reaches a tipping point where he or she is unable to work at all.

There are significant differences in how men and women manage stress at the workplace. When workers do end up asking for help, the response they receive is not great. Both the human and financial costs of stress are enormous.

Statistics for workplace stress show that around , people die each year from work-related stress. As previously mentioned, stress leads to a loss of productivity and can drive workers to quit their jobs. Aside from the obvious health costs for workers, stress can seriously impact company budgets.

Depression in the workplace statistics from research by the UK Mental Health Foundation highlight just how much stress affects the workforce. According to this data, if a worker takes a sick day due to stress or other mental health issues, they are seven times more likely to take additional sick days than a worker with physical issues. Work-related stress causes a whopping one million workers to call in sick daily.

When tied in with the costs of absenteeism, we can begin to understand how heavily workplace stress affects our economy. The cost of absenteeism to the general US economy is immense. United States stress statistics gathered by Benefits magazine show that stress can travel both ways in terms of work-life balance. Just as work-related stress carries over to our personal lives, so too does stress stemming from our personal life affect our work.

When left untreated, depression is as costly as AIDS or heart disease. This figure has surely risen since, given the increasing number of people who are experiencing mental health issues. Workplace stress refers to harmful mental and physical duress caused by various factors at work. Experiencing stress for long periods of time such as lower level but constant stressors at work will activate this system, but it doesn't get the chance to "turn off". When people engage in these behaviours or are in these emotional states, they are more likely to:.

Untreated long term chronic stress has been reported to be associated with health conditions such as:. There are many strategies that can help control stress and reduce its impact to a person or in the workplace. Since the causes of workplace stress vary greatly, so do the strategies to reduce or prevent it.

Where stress in the workplace is caused, for example, by a physical agent, it is best to control it at its source. If the workplace is too loud, control measures to deal with the noise should be implemented where ever possible. If you are experiencing pain from repetitive strain, workstations can be re-designed to reduce repetitive and strenuous movements. More detailed information and suggestions are located in the many other documents in OSH Answers such as noise , ergonomics , or violence and harassment in the workplace , etc.

Job design is also an important factor. Good job design accommodates an employee's mental and physical abilities. In general, the following job design guidelines will help minimize or control workplace stress:.

There are many ways to be proactive when dealing with stress. Mental fitness, self help, taking healthy steps, stress management training, and counselling services can be helpful to individuals, but do not forget to look for the root cause s of the stress and take steps to address them. However, in some cases, the origin of the stress is something that cannot be changed immediately. Therefore, finding ways to help maintain personal good mental health is also essential. Yes, there are many.

Your family doctor can often recommend a professional for you. You should contact the organization s directly for more information about their services. Please note that mention of these organizations does not represent a recommendation or endorsement by CCOHS of these organizations over others of which you may be aware. Add a badge to your website or intranet so your workers can quickly find answers to their health and safety questions. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information, CCOHS does not guarantee, warrant, represent or undertake that the information provided is correct, accurate or current.

CCOHS is not liable for any loss, claim, or demand arising directly or indirectly from any use or reliance upon the information. Examples of individual and situational factors that can help to reduce the effects of stressful working conditions include the following:. The Design of Tasks. Example: David works to the point of exhaustion.

Theresa is tied to the computer, allowing little room for flexibility, self-initiative, or rest. Management Style. Lack of participation by workers in decision- making, poor communication in the organization, lack of family-friendly policies. Interpersonal Relationships. Poor social environment and lack of support or help from coworkers and supervisors.

Work Roles. Career Concerns. Job insecurity and lack of opportunity for growth, advancement, or promotion; rapid changes for which workers are unprepared. Environmental Conditions. Unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions such as crowding, noise, air pollution, or ergonomic problems. Stress sets off an alarm in the brain, which responds by preparing the body for defensive action. The nervous system is aroused and hormones are released to sharpen the senses, quicken the pulse, deepen respiration, and tense the muscles.

This response sometimes called the fight or flight response is important because it helps us defend against threatening situations. The response is preprogrammed biologically.

Everyone responds in much the same way, regardless of whether the stressful situation is at work or home. Short-lived or infrequent episodes of stress pose little risk. But when stressful situations go unresolved, the body is kept in a constant state of activation, which increases the rate of wear and tear to biological systems. Ultimately, fatigue or damage results, and the ability of the body to repair and defend itself can become seriously compromised.

As a result, the risk of injury or disease escalates. In the past 20 years, many studies have looked at the relationship between job stress and a variety of ailments. Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family and friends are examples of stress-related problems that are quick to develop and are commonly seen in these studies. These early signs of job stress are usually easy to recognize. But the effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress.

Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders. Cardiovascular Disease Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Musculoskeletal Disorders On the basis of research by NIOSH and many other organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper- extremity musculoskeletal disorders. Psychological Disorders Several studies suggest that differences in rates of mental health problems such as depression and burnout for various occupations are due partly to differences in job stress levels.

Economic and lifestyle differences between occupations may also contribute to some of these problems. Workplace Injury Although more study is needed, there is a growing concern that stressful working conditions interfere with safe work practices and set the stage for injuries at work. Suicide, Cancer, Ulcers, and Impaired Immune Function Some studies suggest a relationship between stressful working conditions and these health problems.

However, more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn. But research findings challenge this belief. Studies show that stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and intentions by workers to quit their jobs-all of which have a negative effect on the bottom line. Recent studies of so-called healthy organizations suggest that policies benefiting worker health also benefit the bottom line.

A healthy organization is defined as one that has low rates of illness, injury, and disability in its workforce and is also competitive in the marketplace. NIOSH research has identified organizational characteristics associated with both healthy, low-stress work and high levels of productivity.

Examples of these characteristics include the following:. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included 1 employee and management education on job stress, 2 changes in hospital policies and procedures to reduce organizational sources of stress, and 3 establishment of employee assistance programs.

In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention activities. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers who must take time off work because of stress, anxiety, or a related disorder will be off the job for about 20 days. The examples of Theresa and David illustrate two different approaches for dealing with stress at work. Stress Management. Nearly one-half of large companies in the United States provide some type of stress management training for their workforces.

Stress management programs teach workers about the nature and sources of stress, the effects of stress on health, and personal skills to reduce stress-for example, time management or relaxation exercises. EAPs provide individual counseling for employees with both work and personal problems. Stress management training may rapidly reduce stress symptoms such as anxiety and sleep disturbances; it also has the advantage of being inexpensive and easy to implement.

However, stress management programs have two major disadvantages:. Organizational Change. This approach is the most direct way to reduce stress at work. It involves the identification of stressful aspects of work e. The advantage of this approach is that it deals directly with the root causes of stress at work. However, managers are sometimes uncomfortable with this approach because it can involve changes in work routines or production schedules, or changes in the organizational structure.

As a general rule, actions to reduce job stress should give top priority to organizational change to improve working conditions.