The importance and nature of work has been changing at a rapid pace in recent years, and today, more than ever before, occupational stress threatens human health and life. For this reason, much research has been conducted and is being conducted today to provide implementation protocols for minimizing workplace stress with a specific organization and discipline, and many new ones will be added to it every day. In this article, we will try to list some of the causes of occupational stress and identify solutions that can be provided for them.
A scenario:
As the weeks passed, David became more and more anxious. He had been plagued by muscle aches, loss of appetite, restless sleep, and a feeling of emptiness. At first he had tried to ignore his symptoms, but eventually he had become so impatient and irritable that his wife had forced him to go to the doctor for a checkup. Now he was sitting in the doctor’s office, waiting to see what would happen. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice Teresa come and sit down in the chair next to him. They had been good friends until recently, and Teresa worked in the office across from them at the factory. He hadn’t seen Teresa since she left the factory three years ago. Teresa now worked in a customer service representative. Finally, with Teresa’s gentle tap on his shoulder, he noticed her, and soon they were talking so warmly that it was as if they hadn’t known each other for three years. David said to Teresa: You left the factory just in time, no one is safe in the factory now, it seems that you only exist as long as you have a job and nothing else to be sure of and they expect every man to do the work of three men, we are completely overwhelmed with this problem so much that I now work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and even when I sleep I can hear the noise of the machines in my ears and I can only rest when I am sick and the morale is so bad that they are thinking of hiring a consultant to do things better. Teresa: Well, I really missed you. I have unfortunately fallen from one hole to another. In my new job, the computer connects the phones and the rings never stop. I even have to plan my trips to the health service and I deal with unhappy customers all day long. I try to keep everyone happy, but I can’t make any promises without consulting my managers. Most of the time, I get caught between what the customer wants and what the company policy is, and I don’t know who to keep happy. My coworkers are so tense and nervous that I can’t talk to them. We all go to our separate cubicles and stay there until the end of the day. To make matters worse, my mother’s health is getting worse and worse, and I wish I could spend some time with her. I also have constant migraines and high blood pressure. Other coworkers occasionally see the company psychologist and take stress management classes, but eventually someone has to put an end to this.
The life story of these two people, although not pleasant, is very common in today’s industrial, fast-paced, and stressful society. We are all familiar with such heartaches and problems, and many of us are struggling with them, and this is seen in abundance from the very top levels of companies to the middle and lower levels.
At the top levels, there is high psychological pressure to increase production and sales and capture the consumer market, and at the middle level to carry out very time-consuming and busy coordination, and at the lower levels, as David said, due to macro problems, human resources are often ignored. As long as they are needed, each person works instead of three people, and where they are not needed, the stress of losing their job follows them like a constant shadow.
Work problems in work circles on the one hand, social and family stresses on the other hand, and lack of mutual understanding between the employer and the employee are crises that fuel work stress. All of the above has led to many studies focusing on this important topic. These are very complex and expensive studies that, despite much progress, still leave many unclear points about the causes, effects, and methods of preventing work stress.
What is job stress?
Definition: Occupational stress refers to the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when job demands are not in line with the physical, mental, and needs of the individual employed, and this can endanger the individual’s health.
What are the causes of job stress?
Almost all research on this issue agrees that job stress results from the interaction between an individual and their work environment, and on the other hand, it depends to a large extent on the mental, physical and family conditions of each individual, and whether or not the individual has the ability to adapt to the job at the time of choosing the desired job is very important. In the example above, one of the reasons for Tersa’s job dissatisfaction with her job was that she did not have the opportunity to take care of her elderly mother or that she needed an environment in which she could communicate and interact with her colleagues in terms of personality. However, although personal differences between individuals in terms of acceptance and adaptation to work cannot be denied, research shows that many workplace conditions are stressful for many employees. High work pressure and complex expectations that employers have from employees are examples that were mentioned in the common case studies above. This evidence leads to greater emphasis on working conditions as key stress factors.
Based on studies conducted by NIOSH , workplace conditions play an important and primary role in the occurrence of occupational stress, but each individual plays an important role in strengthening and worsening these stressors, depending on their physical, mental, and family conditions. Therefore, it is recommended that:
1- A balance must be established between work, family, and personal life.
2- Form a support network among friends and colleagues.
3- Adopt a positive, logical, and calm perspective towards each individual’s problems.
Regarding environmental factors that can cause work stress:
1- Designing each person’s tasks: High work pressure, infrequent breaks in between work, long and consecutive work shifts, very hectic tasks in a routine and permanent manner that has nothing to do with human nature (permanent severe stress), prevents personnel from using their skills and causes people to lose control (like David).
2- Management method: When people are involved in decision-making very little or not at all, there is poor communication within the organization and a lack of policies for communicating with the families of employees and their family problems.
3- Relationships between staff: Poor social environment and lack of support from colleagues and supervisors –
4- Work roles: complex or undefined personal expectations, heavy responsibilities (too many watermelons to pick) by one person
5- Professional problems: job insecurity, lack of opportunities for career growth and advancement, rapid changes that people are not yet prepared for.
6- Environmental conditions: Dangerous and unacceptable physical conditions such as overcrowding in some environments, noise, workplace air pollution, ergonomic problems.
Job stress and health:
Stress actually sets off an alarm in the brain that alerts the body to prepare for defense. The nervous system is stimulated and hormones are released to activate the body’s senses, increase heart rate, deepen breathing, put muscles in a state of readiness, etc. This response, sometimes called fight or flight, is very important because it helps defend against threatening situations.
People respond to stress in much the same way, regardless of whether the stress is work-related or not. Short-term or occasional stress poses little risk, but when it continues and remains unresolved, the body remains in a constant state of increased activity, which sets the stage for the wear and tear of the body’s biological systems. Eventually, fatigue and damage occur, and the body’s ability to repair and defend itself is seriously impaired, ultimately increasing the risk of disease. In the past 20 years, many studies have been conducted on the relationship between job stress and diseases. Mood and sleep disorders, stomach upset, headaches, and disrupted emotional relationships with family and friends are examples of work-related stress-related disorders that are increasingly prevalent these days, especially in our beloved country.
These early symptoms of occupational stress are easy to recognize. Such as headaches, sleep disorders, concentration disorders, decreased tolerance, digestive disorders, job dissatisfaction and moral disorders, but the impact of occupational stress on chronic diseases is very difficult and complex to diagnose. Because these diseases take a long time to develop and numerous risk factors are involved in their occurrence and emergence. However, studies that have been conducted over the years definitely confirm the relationship between occupational stress and many of these diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neuromuscular disorders and mental disorders.
Stress, health and increased productivity:
Some employers believe that job stress makes people work better, and this is very important in today’s world for maintaining high productivity levels, and they have even taken measures not only to reduce environmental stress, but also to provide health facilities to treat the complications of stress (such as anxiety relief classes, etc.). However, recent research and studies show that this thinking is wrong, and stress increases absenteeism and absenteeism, learning disorders, and causes lack of concentration. On the other hand, it makes employees think that they will change their workplace at the first job opportunity that arises, which naturally all of the above will reduce the productivity of that organization.
Stress control:
One way to control stress is the Employee Assistant Program ( EAPis used in many large companies around the world. In this method, by holding courses, employees are taught how to find the roots of stress within themselves and at the same time, they are taught the skills to deal with it. This method is good in that it is not expensive at all and on the other hand it has a very quick effect on disorders such as sleep and mood disorders, but because it has a short-term effect and ignores the roots and stressors, it is not a comprehensive method.
Changes related to the organization:
As mentioned in the story above, the company David worked for tried to make changes in the workplace through an expert to address environmental problems, and this is the best, most direct, and most sustainable way to control workplace stress. The advantage of this method is that it works directly to eliminate the roots of anxiety in the workplace, but its drawback is that it confronts employers with some unevenness, such as changing the work routines established in the organization, even changes in the production schedule, and generally changes in the structure of the organization.
How do we start changes in the organization?
1- Make sure that the workload matches the individual’s abilities and potential.
2- Design jobs in a way that provides concepts, opportunities, and incentives for using personnel skills.
3- Fully explain to the worker the role, duties, and responsibilities.
4- Give people the opportunity to intervene in decisions that affect their work.
5- Addressing job insecurity among personnel regarding career advancement and job prospects.
6- Creating opportunities for social interactions between staff.
7- Designing a work schedule that matches the needs and responsibilities of the outside work environment.
Some practical measures :
1- Creating public awareness about job stress (causes) and how to control it
2- Forming management committees at high levels that can make decisions without any fear or intimidation and that guarantee the implementation of these decisions.
3- Involving the employer in all stages of the program.
4- Establishing technical capacity for program implementation
