Chapter 8: "Work stress kills"

Jobs and careers, besides providing a source of income and help us fulfill our personal goals are
also the biggest source of stress for most people. Work stress has become a significant issue at
workplace, affecting not only employees health but also their organizations productivity.
Although it cant be denied that stress also has a positive effect ( the pressures of heavy
workloads and deadlines may enhance the quality of employees work and the satisfaction they
get from their job ), I agree that work stress kills employees physiological and psychological
health and may also lead to some behavioral problems.
Stress is defined as the excitement, feeling of anxiety and/or physical tension that occurs when
the demands placed on an individual (responsibilities, pressures, obligations, and uncertainties
individuals face in the workplace) are thought to exceed the persons resources (things within an
individuals control that he or she can use to resolve the demands). So basically, stress is
associated with demands and resources, and adequate resources help reduce the stressful nature
of demands when demands and resources match.
Work-related stress can be caused by various events. Some of the many causes of work-related
stress include long hours, heavy workload, job insecurity and conflicts with co-workers or
bosses. Also, how a person experiences work-related stress depends on the job, the persons
psychological make-up, and other factors such as past experiences, personal life and the persons
general health.
What are the consequences of work stress? Work stress kills because it may lead to a number of
problems, such as high blood pressure, ulcers, irritability, difficulty making routine decisions,
loss of appetite, accident proneness These problems may be divided under three general
categories: physiological, psychological, and behavioral symptoms.

Physiological Symptoms: Evidence now clearly suggests that stress is one of the leading causes
of long-term health issues. Backaches, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and peptic
ulcers are a few symptoms that can arise when a person is under too much stress. Studies have
also found that higher levels of psychological burnout at work are related to significantly higher
levels of sickness absence.
Psychological Symptoms: Job dissatisfaction is the most obvious psychological effect of stress.
Stress also causes other psychological problems like tension, anxiety, irritability, boredom, and
procrastination. Jobs that make multiple and conflicting demands or that lack clarity about the
duties, authority, and responsibilities increase both stress and dissatisfaction.
Behavioral Symptoms: Behavior-related stress symptoms include reductions in productivity,
absence, turnover, as well as changes in eating habits, increased smoking or consumption of
alcohol, rapid speech, fidgeting, sleep disorders, poor decision making, lack of creativity, or even
sabotage... A stressed worker may neglect their duties, impending workflows, resulting in
organization slows down and loses time and money. Several researches investigating the stress
performance relationship have shown that low to moderate levels of stress stimulate the body and
increase its ability to react, people then often perform their tasks better, more intensely, or more
rapidly. But too much stress will put unattainable demands on a person, which result in lower
performance.
Managers plays an important position when it comes to workplace stress. Managers should keep
an eye out for behaviors that may be possible indicators of workplace stress and soon handle
with them. They should be more considerate when setting the pace, assigning tasks, and fostering
the social customs that govern the work group. Managers should consistently discuss job
satisfaction and professional and personal health with each of their employees.