Finally, it is important to note that anyone can be affected by stress. Making the workplace a safe environment to talk about stress and mental health will benefit both employees and the company in the long run. Stress can also come from not making enough requests, as people get bored, feel undervalued, and have no recognition. If they feel they have little or no say in the work they do or how they do it, it can lead to stress. The hse indicator tool is a psychometrically sound measure of organizational performance against HSE management standards. As such, there can be a broad overview of the causes of work-related stress in organizations. More research is needed to investigate the use of the tool in the design of stress reduction interventions and its use in different contexts and with different cultural and gender groups. HSE: Statistics on stress-related depression or anxiety at work in the UK 2018 Individuals have different levels of tolerance and react differently to stressors or triggers, so the point at which pressure turns into stress will be different for each individual. When the pressures stop beyond the optimal power point, the effort becomes more difficult and the power is significantly reduced.
Persistent pressure often leads to illness and individuals are unable to function at work. Being under pressure is a normal part of life. This can be a useful reader that helps you take action, feel more energetic, and get results. But if you`re often overwhelmed by stress, these feelings might start to be a problem for you. Stress can place immense demands on employees` physical and mental health and affect their behaviour, performance and relationships with colleagues. It`s a major cause of prolonged absence from work, and knowing how to manage factors that can cause work-related stress is essential to effectively managing people. Employers should take a systematic approach to identifying stress risks, for example by conducting stress risk assessments. People may also try to reduce stress symptoms with alcohol, cigarettes, sedatives, or other drugs, which can lead to other, more serious health problems. KAPADI, H.
(2018) What employers can do to minimize stress at work. Human resources management (online). August 15 As an employee or security guard, you can help change the culture at work to encourage people to talk about stress. A guide with information, practical tips and templates to help managers facilitate conversations about stress and mental illness with employees HSE works to reduce work-related stress by using communication, partnerships and regulatory work in the most at-risk areas and evidence-based interventions. Employers in the UK have the responsibility created by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1974 to manage the health and safety of their employees. Although this duty of care originally applied to physical health, the recognition that work-related stress has a significant impact on workers` well-being means that legislation now includes workers` physical and mental well-being [1]. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) [2] defines stress as an adverse response to excessive or extreme stresses or demands that may be imposed on individuals. Although there are various frameworks and theories to explain work-related stress, it can be seen as a psychological state that reflects the relationship between individuals and their work environment [3]. HSE has developed the management standards approach to managing work-related stress. These standards represent a set of conditions that, where appropriate, reflect a high level of health, well-being and organisational performance.
The reliability of the baseline data with which the HSE analysis tool compares organisational outcomes is also taken into account by the studies included in this review. The HSE analysis tool compares the results with the baseline data to determine whether the organization is above or below the company average. A number of studies have highlighted reliability issues with baseline data. Bevan et al. [18] concluded that the baseline data were not representative of occupational groups known to have high levels of work-related stress (e.g., prison guards). Their study concluded that baseline data explained why many elements required attention and suggested that basing recommendations and judgments on comparisons with these data might not be reliable. Houdmont et al. [23] agreed that high-stress companies are under-represented in the baseline data, suggesting that adding more organizations known to have high levels of stress could make the database more representative of different occupational groups.
Bartram et al. [16] also suggested that while the HSE indicator tool can be used to study work-related stress among veterinarians, it does not recognize certain elements of the profession. Edwards et al. [25] argued, however, that the 39 organizations on which the baseline data were based allowed the tool to be used by most occupations and provided a reliable and representative measure of work-related stress. Edwards and Webster [26] also recommend that the data collected as part of their study (N = 67,347, in 137 organizations) be added to the existing baseline data to allow for more accurate comparisons between HSE indicator baselines and individual firms.