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This page contains frequently asked on stress in the workplace.
According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition, 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.
The WHO advises that ‘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 and where they have little control over work or how they can cope with its demands and pressures.’
The initial response of stress to personal or work-related psychological risk factors is in itself, not an illness. The effects are usually of short duration and have no lasting effects once the stressful situation has passed. Acute or chronic harm to health may result when the employee is unable to cope with persistent and sustained psychological risk factors over a long period of time. Severe stress reactions may result from exposure to trauma or violence at work.
The basis of this reaction comes from instinctive 'fight or flight' reactions to danger. The stress response is designed to be used in short bursts and then switched off. If it is activated for too long, or the period between stressful situations is too short, then the body has no time to repair itself, and fatigue and damage occurs. The stress hormones then literally begin to destroy the body so, over time, this affects physical and mental health and quality of life in just the same way as exposure to industrial toxins.
You should:
There are no specific requirements in the OSH legislation that deal with work-related stress. However, general duty of care principals apply to the employer and the employee. Under section 19, 21, and 22, the employer, a self employed person or person in control of the workplace is required to, as far as practicable, provide and maintain a working environment in which employees are not exposed to hazards. Workers have an obligation under section 20(2)(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 to report to their employer any situation at the workplace that he or she has reason to believe could constitute a hazard. The employer is required under section 23(K) of the Act to investigate the matter and report back to the worker.
Employers are also required under regulation 3.1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 to identify and assess each hazard to which a person at the workplace is likely to be exposed and under Section 35(1)(c) of the Act are required to consult with Safety and Health Representatives on any changes to the workplace that may be reasonably expected to affect the health or safety of the employees. This could include changes relating to workload and work practices.
When an employee experiences adverse health effects from work-related stress they may experience symptoms and signs through four channels in their body: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Behavioural. The figure below displays the signs and symptoms under each of the channels.
When an individual is experiencing work-related stress their behaviour and mood may be affected. This can include:
Physical | Cognitive | Emotional | Behavioural |
Increased heart rate (pounding) Elevated blood pressure Sweaty palms; tightness in the chest Headaches Diarrhoea Tightness in neck/back muscles Trembling Tics or twitching Stuttering Other speech difficulties Pupil dilation Nausea and/or vomiting Sleep disturbance Fatigue Proneness to accidents Slumped posture Shallow breathing Susceptibility to minor illnesses Dryness of mouth or throat Butterflies in stomach |
Forgetfulness Preoccupation Blocking Errors in judging distance Diminished or exaggerated fantasy life Reduced creativity Difficulty in making decisions Mental confusion Lack of concentration Diminished productivity Lack of attention to detail Orientation to past Over-sensitivity to criticism |
Irritability Lowered self-esteem Angry outbursts Depression Jealousy Feeling ‘up-tight’ Suspiciousness Diminished initiative Loneliness Helplessness Insecurity Frustration Lack of interest Tendency to cry Critical of oneself and others Lacking in confidence Self-deprecation Exhaustion Desire to escape |
Increased smoking Aggressive driving Having accidents Clumsiness Nervous laughter Panic Increased alcohol or drug abuse Carelessness Eating too much Fast (even incoherent) speech Chewing fingernails |
Changes in workplace behaviour may also be observed when an employee is experiencing psychological symptoms and signs. This includes, but not limited to:
If you are experiencing any of these signs or symptoms, or have concerns about your health, please consult your medical practitioner.
There will be a wide range of difference in individual reactions to pressure from psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. Perceptions of psychosocial risk factors may vary between individuals. What one individual finds as motivating, may adversely affect the health of another. The individual's ability to cope may also vary throughout their lifetime due to a number of influences. Some of these influences include their coping skills, previous experiences, training and personal difficulties (e.g. divorce and death of spouse).
Although there are many work-related risk factors that can lead to a psychological and physical injury, there are eight work-related risk factors that have been widely researched and are known to impact on employee well-being and adverse psychological and physical health.
These eight work-related risk factors are:
Physical and chemical risk factors (as well as biological agents) can influence employees’ comfort and performance within the work environment and contribute to work-related stress. Environmental sources of work-related stress include:
People respond to work-related stress differently and this can, in part, be related (or contributed) to the person’s previous experiences, coping styles, personality styles, available support and physiological factors which are external to the work environment.
Differences in people’s response to stress do not reduce employers’ legal duty and responsibility to minimise exposure to work-related stress.
Apart from the OSH legislation, work-related stress has other consequences for organisations. Work-related stress does not just affect the individual, it can also be very costly to organisations. As employees’ work-related stress levels increase, organisational performance can be diminished and be measured by the following:
Furthermore, the average cost of worker's compensation claims for work-related stress tends to be nearly double the average cost of other claims. In relation to Workers’ Compensation claims for stress, SafeWork Australia (2013) stated 'the loss of productivity and absence of workers is costing Australian businesses more than $10 billion per year.'
Reducing the causes of stress does not need to cost the workplace a lot of money. It may be as simple as reallocating workloads or extending deadlines for projects. Consultation with staff is an important part of identifying and reducing the psychosocial risk factors of work-related stress.
A risk assessment for psychological risk factors that may lead to psychological and/or physical injuries follows a similar process to a standard risk assessment.
Basic process for conducting risk assessments of psychological risk factors:
Different methods can be used complimentary to each other to determine the presence of each work-related risk factor. Such methods include:
Step one: Hazard identification - Hazard identification for psychological injuries follows a similar process to hazard identification for physical injuries or harm to health.
Step two: Consequences
Step three: Identify existing management controls and employee support systems - identify and assess existing controls and employee support systems that may reduce the risk of harm to health (eg policies, management and employee training, employee assistance program (EAP)).
Step four: Risk Rating - what is the risk of harm to health to employees from exposure to the psychological risk factors? Consider how existing management controls and employee support systems may reduce the risk (EAP, policies and procedures, management training, stress management training etc).
Likelihood of injury of harm to health | Consequences of any injury or harm to health | Existing systems | |||
Insignificant | Moderate | Major | Catastrophic | How do the existing controls and systems impact on the risk rating? (increase/decrease?) |
|
Very Likely | High | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | |
Likely | Moderate | High | Extreme | Extreme | |
Moderate | Low | High | Extreme | Extreme | |
Unlikely | Low | Moderate | High | Extreme | |
High Unlikely (rare) | Low | Moderate | High | High |
It is up to you to determine, the most appropriate measures to assess the risk factors for work-related stress. For further information on risk assessments and choosing an appropriate measure, please contact the Human Factors/ Ergonomics Team at WorkSafe.
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