According to the World Health Organisation, work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope. Stress occurs in a wide range of work circumstances but is often made worse when employees feel they have little support from supervisors and colleagues, as well as little control over work processes. On the other hand, workers are less likely to experience work-related stress when demands and pressures of work are matched to their knowledge and abilities, they feel confident and having control over the work, receive support from supervisors and colleagues, and can participate in decisions that concern their jobs (World Health Organisation, 2020).

Pressure vs stress

Some amount of pressure is unavoidable at almost any workplace. Reasonable work challenge or pressure perceived by an individual as acceptable may be positive, keeping workers alert, motivated, able to work and learn. However, when that pressure becomes excessive or otherwise unmanageable it leads to stress. Stress can damage an employees’ health and the business performance (World Health Organisation, 2020).

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What are the most popular work-related stress factors?  According to the World Health Organisation (2020), they can be divided into work content and work context.

Excessive demands leading to work-related stress are sometimes embedded in highly competitive and performance-oriented organisational culture in the form of unpaid overtime or “presenteeism” (Michie, 2002).

 

Looking at these factors, how would you assess the work-related stress at your company?

Sources

Michie, S. (2002). Causes and management of stress at work. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 59(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.59.1.

World Health Organization. (2020, October 19). Occupational health: Stress at the workplace. World Health Organization. Retrieved October 28, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/ccupational-health-stress-at-the-workplace