Job Stress – a Health and Safety Issue
Job Stress – A Health and Safety Issue
Job stress can pose a significant threat to the health and safety of corporations’ employees and can consequently affect the health of an entire organization. If the symptoms are properly recognized by Human Resource (HR) personal, the devastating affects that job stress and its’ associated costs have on an organization can be minimized. This paper will look at what are some of the causes of job stress, the resulting symptoms, the consequences to employers if the symptoms are not addressed, and some of the programs employers can implement to reduce the adverse effects of stress in the workplace.
It is important that both employees and employers recognize and understand job stress and its causes. Many employers can confuse job challenges and job demands. Most employees and employers view a job challenge as a motivating factor, which enables them to grow within their assigned positions. This motivation has the potential to produce positive results that benefit both employees and employers. However, when a challenge becomes too demanding, employees often resort to the fight or flight response. At the onset of these demanding situations, the employee does not have the “true” opportunity to fight or flee, and as a result the increased energy and emotions that they encounter is internalized and over time manifests itself as stress. Stress is not an illness, however prolonged exposure to stressful conditions can increase the risk of injury or disease. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (“NIOSH”), job 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 employee"(Stress). Some common situations that create these situations include management style, interdepartmental relationships, work roles, career concerns, work-life issues, and environmental conditions. Typically,
Job stress can pose a significant threat to the health and safety of corporations’ employees and can consequently affect the health of an entire organization. If the symptoms are properly recognized by Human Resource (HR) personal, the devastating affects that job stress and its’ associated costs have on an organization can be minimized. This paper will look at what are some of the causes of job stress, the resulting symptoms, the consequences to employers if the symptoms are not addressed, and some of the programs employers can implement to reduce the adverse effects of stress in the workplace.
It is important that both employees and employers recognize and understand job stress and its causes. Many employers can confuse job challenges and job demands. Most employees and employers view a job challenge as a motivating factor, which enables them to grow within their assigned positions. This motivation has the potential to produce positive results that benefit both employees and employers. However, when a challenge becomes too demanding, employees often resort to the fight or flight response. At the onset of these demanding situations, the employee does not have the “true” opportunity to fight or flee, and as a result the increased energy and emotions that they encounter is internalized and over time manifests itself as stress. Stress is not an illness, however prolonged exposure to stressful conditions can increase the risk of injury or disease. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (“NIOSH”), job 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 employee"(Stress). Some common situations that create these situations include management style, interdepartmental relationships, work roles, career concerns, work-life issues, and environmental conditions. Typically,
References: Dessler, Gary. Human Resource Management 8th edition (University Of Phoenix Special Edition Series) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. Stress at Work. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html