Job stress has become a common and costly problem in the American workplace, leaving few workers untouched. For example, studies report the following:

• One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.
• Three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago.
• Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems.

What is job stress?

Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury.

Job stress is often confused with challenge, but these concepts are not the same. Challenge energizes us psychologically and physically, and it motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied. But job stress is different-the challenge has turned into job demands that cannot be met, relaxation has turned to exhaustion, and a sense of satisfaction has turned into feelings of stress. In short, the stage is set for illness, injury, and job failure.

What causes job stress?

According to one school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as personality and coping style are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job conditions.

Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Excessive workload demands and conflicting expectations are good examples. Such evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and for job redesign as a primary prevention strategy.

Approach to job stress

Examples of individual and situational factors that can help to reduce the effects of stressful working conditions include the following:

• Balance between work and family or personal life
• A support network of friends and coworkers
• A relaxed and positive outlook

Job conditions that may lead to stress

The design of tasks. Heavy workload, infrequent rest breaks, long work hours and shiftwork; hectic and routine tasks that have little inherent meaning, do not utilize workers' skills, and provide little sense of control.

Management style. Lack of participation by workers in decision-making, poor communication in the organization, lack of family-friendly policies.

Interpersonal relationships. Poor social environment and lack of support or help from coworkers and supervisors.

Work roles. Conflicting or uncertain job expectations, too much responsibility, too many "hats to wear."

Career concerns. Job insecurity and lack of opportunity for growth, advancement, or promotion; rapid changes for which workers are unprepared.

Environmental conditions. Unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions such as crowding, noise, air pollution, or ergonomic problems.

Job stress and health

Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family and friends are early signs of job stress. But the effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see. Chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders. Some studies suggest a relationship between stressful working conditions and suicide, cancer, ulcers, and impaired immune function. Health care expenditures are nearly 50% greater for workers who report high levels of stress.

Stress prevention and job performance

Some employers assume that companies must turn up the pressure on workers and set aside health concerns to remain productive and profitable in today's economy. But studies show that stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover--all of which have a negative effect on the bottom line. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers who must take time off work because of stress, anxiety, or a related disorder will be off the job for about 20 days.

Recent studies of so-called healthy organizations suggest that policies benefiting worker health also benefit the bottom line. A healthy organization is defined as one that has low rates of illness, injury, and disability in its workforce and is also competitive in the marketplace.In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities were implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities.

What can be done about job stress?

Stress management

Nearly one-half of large companies in the United States provide some type of stress management training for their workforce. Some have employee assistance programs (EAPs) to provide individual counseling for employees with both work and personal problems. Stress management training is inexpensive, easy to implement, and may rapidly reduce stress symptoms such as anxiety and sleep disturbances. However, the beneficial effects on stress symptoms are often short-lived. Such programs often ignore important root causes of stress because they focus on the worker and not the environment.

Organizational change

Bringing in a consultant to recommend ways to improve working conditions is the most direct way to reduce stress at work. It involves the identification of stressful aspects of work (e.g., excessive workload, conflicting expectations) and the design of strategies to reduce or eliminate the identified stressors. It deals directly with the root causes of stress at work. However, managers are sometimes uncomfortable with this approach because it can involve changes in work routines or production schedules, or changes in the organizational structure.

As a general rule, actions to reduce job stress should give top priority to organizational change to improve working conditions. But even the most conscientious efforts to improve working conditions are unlikely to eliminate stress completely for all workers. For this reason, a combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work.

Strategies for preventing job stress

• Ensure that the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and resources.
• Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their skills.
• Clearly define workers' roles and responsibilities.
• Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs.
• Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects.
• Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers.
• Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the the workplace.

How to get started

Low morale, health and job complaints, and employee turnover often provide the first signs of job stress. But sometimes there are no clues, especially if employees are fearful of losing their jobs. Lack of obvious or widespread signs is not a good reason to dismiss concerns about job stress or minimize the importance of a prevention program.

Developing a stress prevention program consists of three stages: 1.) gathering data to pinpoint specific problems, 2.) designing an intervention, and 3.) conducting an ongoing program evaluation. Group discussions among managers, labor representatives, and employees can provide rich sources of information about employee perceptions of job conditions and perceived levels of stress, health, and satisfaction.. Formal surveys can be used in larger organizations. Objective measures such as absenteeism, illness and turnover rates, or performance problems can also be examined. Survey design, data analysis, interventions, and evaluation of a stress prevention program may require the help of experts from a local university or consulting firm.

Source: 

Adapted from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, February 1999

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