Written by There are many potential sources of stress at work – learning what to do about it is extremely important for both your health and your career. Some of these potential sources of stress include:
ï Role conflict
ï Role ambiguity
ï Working relations
ï Overload
ï Control (or lack of it)
ï Feedback (or lack of it)
ï Support from colleagues (or lack of it)
ï Uncertainty over job future
This list does not include stressors outside of the workplace that can also affect your performance. These may, for example, be family demands which place particular strain on dual career or single-parent households. Marital problems, caring for elderly parents, health issues affecting a family member and concerns over children can all affect us at work. There are, in addition, sources of workplace stress that should never be tolerated. These are sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions and violence in the workplace. These three sources of workplace stress need to be taken extremely seriously and addressed at managerial level.
Generally speaking, workplace stress arises in four main areas:
ï Lack of control over your work or working environment
ï Uncertainty over work-related issues
ï A prevailing dysfunctional conflict
ï The general demands of work or specific tasks
It is important to address each of these areas when attempting to reduce stress in the workplace. Managers and employees need to work together to develop effective stress management policies and programs. Stress at work does not just come from the individual stressors listed earlier but can be a direct result of job demands such as a heavy workload and long hours. If these job demands result in too high a level of stress than they need to be adapted on all levels, including policies and procedures, as well as on the part of the worker.
Company climate sets the tone for the amount of stress experienced in the workplace. If the working environment is one where personal needs and feelings are considered, the potential amount of stress will be decreased. If, however, the working atmosphere is one where people distrust one another and indulge in gossip and back-biting then correlating stress will be increased. Another source of stress in the workplace is uncertainty over, for example, job security, changes in management or changes in working practices.
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