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What is Stress?
The Health and Safety Executive defines stress as
"The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them".
Pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated. But excessive pressure can lead to stress
which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill.
What is work related stress?
Work-related stress is a major cause of occupational ill health. That means sickness absence, high staff turnover
and poor performance in your organisation. Devine & Gibson can offer advice that will help you, your employees and
their representatives manage this issue sensibly and in a way that will minimise the impact of work-related stress on
your business. In fact, it could even help improve your business performance.
Everyone is under some pressure in the workplace. Some external pressures can be a positive factor, helping us to be
more productive. Some people actually thrive under short-term added pressure, and our bodies are designed to meet
these short-term demands. Hormones, including adrenaline, are released to prepare us for a "fight or flight" response
to demanding situations. However, excessive and prolonged stress can take its toll, producing a range of physical and
emotional health problems which have come to be grouped as "work-related stress".
There is no single cause of work-related stress. While stress can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it is
often the result of a combination of stressful factors which accumulate over time. Some people can become so used to
the symptoms of excessive stress that it goes unnoticed, to their detriment. Most work-related stress is related to
management of work, relationships at work, organisational set-up and whether you feel you have power and control in your
work.
The experience of stress is different for every person. Some people are affected more than others, so what is stressful
for one person may not be stressful for another. It can depend on your personality type and on how you have learned to
respond to pressure.
Typical triggers of stress include:
lack of control over work
excessive time pressures
excessive or inflexible working hours
too much or too little work or responsibility
confusion about duties and responsibilities
lack of job variety and interest
inadequate training and possibilities for learning new skills
poor work/life balance difficult relationships at work
lack of support and lack of contact with colleagues
organisational confusion, restructuring, job change
uncertainty over job prospects.
Symptoms of work-related stress:
Work-related stress can manifest itself as physical and emotional health problems, and as altered ways of behaving
at work and at home. Physical symptoms include:
increased susceptibility to colds and other infections
headaches
muscular tension
backache and neckache
excessive tiredness
difficulty sleeping
digestive problems
raised heart rate
increased sweating
lower sex drive
skin rashes
blurred vision.
Emotional and behavioural changes include:
wanting to cry much of the time
feeling that you can't cope
short temper at work and at home
feeling that you've achieved nothing at the end of the day
eating when you're not hungry
losing your appetite
smoking and drinking to get you through the day
inability to plan, concentrate and control work
getting less work done
poor relationships with colleagues or clients
loss of motivation and commitment.
Why do we need to tackle stress?
HSE commissioned research has indicated that:
about half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill
up to 5 million people in the UK feel "very" or "extremely" stressed by their work
work-related stress costs society about £3.7 billion every year (at 1995/6 prices).
The Health and Safety Executives key messages
The key messages identified by the Health and Safety Executive are
Work-related stress is a serious problem. Tackling it effectively can result in significant benefits for organisations
There are practical things organisations can do to prevent and control work-related stress
The law requires organisations to take action.
Related issues
Devine & Gibson's work on stress also links with several other areas of concern, including:
Musculoskeletal disorders
Bullying
Workplace violence
Smoking, drugs and alcohol in the workplace.
Click here to read about conditions related to stress
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