Stress Management 1

Job Stress Management Christian A. Gallardo, MD

Objectives • To define what is job stress. • To identify the causes of stress at work • To explain the effect of job stress on human physiologic function • To explain the effect and manifestation of job stress on overall worker health

Objectives • To Identify indications for work stress evaluation and management • To discuss programming measures that can be utilized to prevent and/ or minimize job stress

Why do we work?

• Work provides: – Income – Fulfills a variety of other needs • Mental and physical exercise • Social contact • Feeling of self worth and competence

Factors Influencing Work Stress

• • • • •

The drive for success Changing work patterns Working conditions Relationships at work Job Demands: workload and work paces

What is Job Stress?

Job Stress: • “…the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of a job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.” – Outcome: poor health and injury - NIOSH Publication No. 99 -101

Job Stress: • “Stress is a reaction people have to pressure placed upon them and occurs when pressures exceed the individual’s ability to cope.” - Health and Safety Executive

Job Stress vs. Challenge • Job Stress vs. Challenge – Energizes psychologically – Energizes physically – Motivates to learn a new skill – Motivates mastery of a skill or job

Causes of Job Stress • Individual and Situational Characteristics/ Worker Characteristics – Personality – Coping Style – What is stressful for one may not be for another

Causes of Job Stress • Work Characteristics/Working Conditions/Organizational factor – Exposure to stressful work conditions (job stressor) can adversely and directly affect health and safety – Examples of job stress • Example workload • Environmental hazards • Pressure for increased productivity

Causes of Job Stress • Environmental Factors – Economic Uncertainty – Political Uncertainty – Technological Uncertainty

Job Stressors • 1. Task Design – Heavy workload, infrequent breaks, little or job control, long hours of work or shift work

Job Stressors • 2. Management Style – Lack of worker participation in decision making, poor communication, lack of family friendly policies

Job Stressors • 3. Interpersonal Relationship – Poor Social Environment, lack of support from co-workers or supervisors

Job Stressors • Short Live or infrequent stressful situations pose little risk, if any at all • Continuous stress episodes may be damaging – – – –

Body is constantly on guard and activated Wear and tear to biological systems is faster Fatigue or damage results Repair and defense systems are compromised

Early Warning Signs of Job Stress • • • • • • •

Headache Sleep Disturbances Difficulty in concentrating Short Temper Upset Stomach Job Dissatisfaction Low Morals

Manifestation of Job Stress

Job Stress Prevention

Why Prevent Job Stress? • In the USA more than half of the 550 million work days lost each year are stress-related. -The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

• In the UK, stress accounts for 6 million workdays lost annually - Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

• Statistics Canada has calculated the cost of work time lost to stress at $12 billion a year

Why Prevent Job Stress? • This loss is in terms of – – – –

Absenteeism Lost productivity Poor customer service Escalating short and long-term disability claims.

Why Prevent Job Stress? • Healthcare expenditures are close to 50% greater for stressed workers compared to non-stressed workers. • Overall, stress in a business contributes to 19% absenteeism costs and 40% turnover costs.

Stress Management Strategies • Individual Approach • Organizational Approach

Individual Approach

Organizational Approach

Organizational Approach • • • • • •

Selection and Placement Goal Setting Job Redesign Participative Decision Making Organizational Communication Wellness Program

Selection & Placement • Individuals with little experience or an external locus of control tend to be more stress-prone. Selection and placement decisions should take these facts into consideration.

Goal Setting •

The use of goals can reduce stress as well as provide motivation. Specific goals that are perceived as attainable clarify performance expectations. Additionally, goal feedback reduces uncertainties as to actual job performance. The result is less employee frustration, role ambiguity, and stress.

Job Redesign • Redesigning jobs to give employees more responsibility, more meaningful work, more autonomy, and increased feedback can reduce stress, because these factors give the employee greater control over work activities and lessen dependence on others.

Participative Decision Making • By giving these employees a voice in decisions that directly affect their job performances, management can increase employee control and reduce this role stress.

Organizational Commitment • Given the importance that perceptions play in moderating the stressresponse relationship, management can also use effective communications as a means to shape employee perceptions.

Wellness Program • These programs focus on the employee's total physical and mental condition. For example, they typically provide workshops to help people quit smoking, control alcohol use, lose weight, eat better, and develop a regular exercise program.

In Summary: • Stress can be a major factor in our ability to cope with our working life. It is often thought of in a negative way as something to be avoided, something harmful, but stress cannot always be avoided and its effects are harmful only when it is handled badly.

What Should You Do? • Active living. – Regular exercise generates endorphins (hormones which reduce stress), release tension and enhances sense of control.

• Taking time out. – Make time for your hobbies and interests and give yourself room to unwind.

What Should You Do? • Time Management. – Set goals and priorities for your work. Stick to your plan as much as possible to prevent over loading at the last minute. Don't forget to incorporate time for min-breaks of 10-15 minutes.

• Watching your alcohol and caffeine intake. – These substances can impede your nervous system and leave you feeling edgy.

What Should You Do? • Eating regularly. – Missing meals means that your blood sugar will hit a low. This can leave you feeling tired and irritable and could trigger a stress reaction. – Eat small meals, rich in complex carbohydrates, for a steady stream of energy.

• Get in good night's sleep! – Take time to relax and unwind before sleeping and avoid eating or drinking late at night. – Try to stick to a regular sleep routine, if possible.

What Should You Do? • Learning relaxation and breathing techniques. – Simple exercises can help you to control feelings of panic.

• Controlling negative thoughts. – Strategies include distraction, like reciting a poem or times tables in your head, or challenging your negative thinking. – Are you ignoring the positives and focusing on the worst case scenario? Try to rebalance your interpretation of what might happen.

For the Organization (NIOSH): • Ensure that the workload is in line with workers’ capabilities and resources. • Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their skills. • Clearly define workers roles and responsibilities. • Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs.

For the Organization: • Improve communications—reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects. • Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers. • Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job.

Thank You.