Stress at Work
Understanding Stress
When individuals are unable to use their resources to meet the demands placed on them, they experience what is known as stress. Stress is a common response to situations that require a person to adapt or change. Not all stress is bad. While some amount of stress can motivate a person to perform well, too much stress can interfere with day-to-day life.
In the Workplace
Work is one of the most common sources of stress, and stress is one of the most common emotional difficulties seen at work. In fact, 46% of the Indian workforce is affected by some form of stress.
Causes of Workplace Stress
Work Environment
One's physical environment can influence levels of stress. When physical working conditions are inadequate (poor lighting, restricted ventilation, etc.) employees are likely to feel stressed.
Role in Organisation
Stress is more likely when employees lack clarity about their role or have conflicting roles at the workplace. Lack of organisational boundaries is another factor that can lead to stress.
Career Development
Stress can be caused due to career-related factors, including over-promotion, under-promotion, fear of termination, decreasing job satisfaction, and the failure to fulfill one's ambitions.
Work Relationships
Poor relationships with others at work can be a major source of stress. Workplace bullying, discrimination and harrassment can also lead to intense stress amongst employees.
Work Burden
Stress is linked to the nature and amount of work one is doing. Moreover, the pressure to perform optimally at all times and to meet unrealistic expectations can also cause stress.
Organisational Structure
A host of factors linked to organisational structure can lead to stress - including office politics, lack of communication channels, financial difficulties, and unilateral decision making.
Impact of Workplace Stress
On the Individual
Chronic work stress can adversely impact an employee's physical health. It can also affect their mental well-being and interaction with coworkers and seniors. Some people may experience unhappiness and decreased job satisfaction.
On the Organisation
Stress reduces employee commitment, productivity, morale and motivation. It also increases absenteeism, labour turnover, and dysfunction. As a result, studies show that stress-related problems claim up to 10% of a company's revenue.
InnerHour's Solution for Stress
InnerHour's Employee Happiness Programme offers a range of offerings customised to address factors causing stress in an organisation.
Proprietary Diagnostics
The InnerHour Stress Test assesses various organisational factors that contribute to workplace stress, including work burden, environment, and role conflict. The employer can access fine-tuned insights for different organisational parameters such as location, team, and more.
Targeted Action Plans
Combining data from the Stress Test with internal insights of the employer, we create a customised plan to reduce stress levels for the organisation as a whole as well as for specific groups.
Our therapists deliver interactive workshops and/or webinars on topics relevant to stress management, such as coping skills, mindfulness, communication at work, problem solving strategies, and work-life balance.
The stress programme on the InnerHour app offers personalised self-help tools that are accessible to employees 24*7 in their pockets. Employees learn critical skills to effectively manage stress.
Employees can also access individualised support from a trained InnerHour therapist to discuss their challenges and difficulties with a professional.
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References
Colligan, T. W., & Higgins, E. M. (2006). Workplace Stress. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 21(2), 89-97. doi:10.1300/j490v21n02_07
Michie, S. (2002). Causes and management of stress at work. Retrieved from https://oem.bmj.com/content/oemed/59/1/67.full.pdf
Hassard, Teoh, Gintare, & Cox. (2017, September 27). The cost of work-related stress to society: A systematic review. Retrieved from http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/813897/
Khalida, N. (2018). Job stress, happiness and life satisfaction: The moderating role of emotional intelligence empirical study in telecommunication sector Pakistan. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323165473_Job_Stress_Happiness_and_Life_Satisfaction_The_Moderating_Role_of_Emotional_Intelligence_Empirical_Study_in_Telecommunication_Sector_Pakistan
Basinska, B. A. (2008). The effect of job-related stress on psychological well-being. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245023194_The_effect_of_job-related_stress_on_psychological_well-being
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