Work-life balance

Causes of stress in the workplace

According to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (NIOSH), "stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker." Job stress can result from several different characteristics of a person’s work. The NIOSH offers in great detail conditions in the workforce that create job stress.

    * Foremost, the type of tasks an employee is engaging in can create job stress. For example, hectic and routine tasks have little inherent meaning and offer little sense of control for the employee. Heavy workloads, long work hours and infrequent rest breaks also create stress.

    * Secondly, a lack of support or help from supervisors and coworkers creates a poor social environment and consequently, greater job stress. Physical isolation also reduces an employee’s ability to interact with others, thus diminishing a person’s ability to receive help.

    * In addition, if an employee has little input in decision making processes and the job environment lacks communication between the employer and the employee, an individual is more likely to experience job stress. An absence of family-friendly policies also affects an employee’s job satisfaction.

    * A person’s individual role in a business can also create stress if their job expectations are unclear or they have too much responsibility. It might be difficult to satisfy the customer’s needs and the company’s expectations simultaneously.

    * Additionally, if an employee feels there is a lack of opportunity for growth or promotion, job stress might result from their inability to advance in the workforce. Their job insecurity translates into job stress.

    * The physical conditions of an individual’s job can also create job stress. For example, crowded, noisy or polluted locations are unpleasant and dangerous conditions that would most likely lead to job stress.

Job stress and health

The Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health has sited many health risks associated with job stress (medicine). Studies have shown that psychologically demanding jobs put employees at greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Research done by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health show that greater job stress puts employees at greater risk for developing back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders.

Psychological disorders (see mental illness)are also more prevalent amongst employees with greater job stress levels. Stressful working conditions also contribute to unsafe work practices.

Copyright 2008 - France BtoB from Wikipédia