Task 10 - Workplace Stress
Work-related stress might sound like a grim topic to have a conversation about; but it's inherently something that exists and may continue to harbour in this kind of workplace environment. Even if this is the case, it's important to know how to identify this, and work together to minimize the strains of the job from getting to you or anyone you know. In this blog, I'll provide a brief overview about Work-related stress and introduce preventative measures to mitigate the effects of stressors from building up in the current work environment.
Work-related stress can have major impacts on health and safety. Workers experience stress when they perceive the demands of their work exceeds their ability or resources to cope. A worker can experience physical, mental and emotional reactions to their work environment. Their response to stressors at work may be positive or negative for their wellbeing; so it's important to know how to identify signs of workplace stress.
Work-related stress can lead to illness, injury and decrease in business performance; and it's in everyone's best interest to keep the morale up in order to counter these symptoms. There are three areas to consider when assessing and identifying the workplace for potential risk of stress. These are:
- Organisational
- Environmental
- Specific characteristics
Some environmental stressors are: noise, temperature and humidity, lighting, vibration, and air quality.
In order to combat these stressors it's crucial to rethink some of the organisational and environmental setups in the workplace to better suit the needs of majority of the employees. Consecutively, the knowledge that people respond to demands of work in different ways is important; as every employee has a limit, and this should not be breached.
In general, workers will benefit from: a combination of challenging work, a supportive atmosphere, adequate resources, and a healthy workplace environment; where stressors around the office workstation can be minimized.
Managing workload is an important aspect to consider; and if we all can work together to meet these targets, both as an organization and as individuals, we'll be able to simulate an almost stress-free environment. One which is accepting, and one where personal growth can be achieved.
Ramandeep Singh