Job Stressors
Nearly everyone agrees that job stress results from the interaction between the worker and the conditions of work. Stress often occurs when employees feel the demands of their job outweigh their ability to manage them. Below are some of the most job stressors in the workplace:
Work Roles: Stress increases when job expectations are unclear or conflicting. Employees may feel overwhelmed when given too much responsibility or required to perform too many roles at once. Heavy workloads and role conflict are common sources of distress.
The Design of Tasks: Job tasks that involve heavy workloads, long hours, or few breaks can physically and mentally exhaust workers. Tasks that are repetitive, lack meaning, or fail to use employees' skills also contribute to a sense of frustration and lack of control.
Management Style: Supervisors and managers play a critical role in stress levels at work. Stress can increase when employees have little input in decision-making, when communication is poor, concerns are ignored, or when policies do not support family and personal needs.
Interpersonal Relationships: A negative or unsupportive social environment can make work much more stressful. A lack of teamwork, support, or respect among coworkers and supervisors often creates tension that adds to daily stress.
Environmental Conditions: Workplace environments that are unpleasant or physically unsafe can contribute heavily to stress. Factors such as crowding, noise, poor air quality, or ergonomic issues place strain on both the body and mind.
Career Concerns: In many surveys and studies, especially in times of economic downturn or industry disruptions, the fear of layoffs, reductions in pay, or lack of advancement opportunities can lead to significant stress among employees. The uncertainty about the future and the potential inability to provide for oneself or one's family can be deeply unsettling.
Examples of common workplace stressors discussed above may include:
- Lack of access to the tools and equipment needed to perform work safely
- Fear of employer retaliation
- Facing confrontation from customers, patients, co-workers, supervisors, or employers
- Adapting to new or different workspace and schedule or work rules
- Having to learn new or different tasks or take on more responsibilities
- Having to work more frequent or extended shifts or being unable to take adequate breaks
- Physically demanding work
- Learning new communication tools and dealing with technical difficulties
- Blurring of work-life boundaries, making it hard for workers to disconnect from the office
- Finding ways to work while simultaneously caring for children including overseeing online schooling or juggling other caregiving responsibilities
- Concerns about work performance and productivity
- Concerns about the safety of using public transit as a commuting option
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-5. Which example best illustrates how management style can increase job stress?
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