Workplace Stress Survey

Introduction:
Please read the following before you complete the questionnaire.

Please Note:
• Your name is not required. Do not write your name anywhere on this document.
• All of your replies will be treated confidentially by the University Research Team.

This questionnaire is designed to measure sources of stress, to identify groups of people that
feel stress more often than others, and to identify how they cope. This survey is completely
anonymous and confidential. Your participation is voluntary and return of the questionnaire
will be considered as consent to participate in the survey.

This questionnaire has five sections:

Section One: Demographic Information
Section Two: Employment Information
Section Three: Health Information
Section Four: Sources of work pressure
Section Five: Coping Strategies
This should take up approximately 20 minutes of your time.

This questionnaire is totally anonymous.

Instructions:

1. Please answer all questions

2. Please be frank and honest in your answers, give the first answer you think
of
3. Please answer the questions in pen
4. Please take care to check the scale being used at the beginning of each
section
5. If you wish to change your answer, please cross it out and clearly identify
your new answer
6. When completed, please check that all questions have been answered
7. Return the questionnaire to the email address at the end of this document.

Could you please return this questionnaire no later than 30th September 2005. Thank you for
your time in completing this questionnaire.

This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au
This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au
 Section One: Demographic Information
Please indicate your answer (eg bold, different colour)
1. Age
 18-25
 26-35
 36-55
 56+

2. Gender
 Female
 Male

3. Education (please tick more than one if appropriate)

 School Certificate
 HSC or equivalent
 TAFE
 Trade
 Undergraduate
 Tertiary degree
 Postgraduate
 Other (Please specify)…………………………………………………..

4. Are you a Construction Project Manager working within NSW?

 No
 Yes

5. Marital Status
 Married
 De facto relationship
 Engaged to marry
 Single
 Divorced
 Separated
 Relationship
 Other (Please specify)………………………….……………………………

6. Do you have any children?

 No
 Yes

7. If yes, how many children do you have?

 1
 2
 3
 4 + (Please specify)…………………..

8. Do you regularly take days off due to ill health?

 No
 Yes

9. How many sick days have you taken in the last 12 months?
Please indicate approximate number of days………………………..
This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au
 Section Two: Employment Information

This section is concerned with the extent to which you feel satisfied or dissatisfied with your
job.

 Below are a number of statements relating to issues at work. Please indicate how satisfied
you feel by writing/ typing beside each item a number from the scale below:

1 2 3 4 5
Completely Moderately Neutral Moderate Completely
dissatisfied dissatisfied satisfaction satisfied

Answer
9. Communication and the way information flows around your organization

10. The relationship you have with other people at work

11. The actual job itself

12. The degree to which you feel motivated at work by your job

13. The way in which conflicts are generally resolved in your company

14. The kind of tasks and work you are required to perform

15. The amount of work you are given (whether too much or too little)

16. The design/ shape of your organisation’s structure

17. Your level of salary relative to your experience, training and education

18. The amount of flexibility/ freedom you have in your job

19. Your work environment

This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au
 Section Three: Physical Health

Examine the list below and indicate the frequency of occurrence of these ailments over the
last three months.

 Below are a number of statements relating to your physical health. Please indicate how often
you feel the following occur by writing/ typing beside each item a number from the scale
below:

1 2 3 4 5
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always

Answer
20. Inability to get to sleep or stay asleep

21. Headaches

22. Indigestion or sickness

23. Feeling unaccountably fatigued or exhausted

24. Tendency to eat and/ or drink more than usual

25. Tendency to smoke more than usual

26. Tendency to eat and/ or drink less than usual, that is, a decrease in
appetite

27. Muscles trembling, for example, eye twitch

28. Feeling as though you don’t want to get up in the morning

29. Tendency to sweat or a feeling of your heart beating hard

This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au
 Section Four: Sources work pressure

Almost anything can be a source of pressure at a given time, and individuals perceive
potential sources of pressure differently.

 The statements below are all potential sources of pressure. You are required to rate them
in terms of the degree of pressure you perceive each may place on you. Please indicate
this by writing/ typing beside each item a number from the scale below:

1 2 3 4 5 6
Very definitely Definitely is a Generally is a Generally is Definitely is Very definitely
is a source source source not a source not a source is not a
source

Answer
30. I have far too much work to do

31. I have a lack of power and influence

32. Over-promotion – being promoted beyond my level of ability

33. Under-promotion – working below my level of ability

34. I do not have enough work to do

35. Managing or supervising the work of other people

36. Coping with office politics

37. Taking my work home

38. Rate of pay

39. Personal beliefs conflicting with those of the organization

40. Inadequate guidance and back up form superiors

41. Lack of consultation and communication

42. Keeping up with advances in technology

43. Ambiguity in the nature of job role

44. Inadequate or poor quality of training/ management development

This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au
45. Lack of social support by people at work

6. My spouse’s/ partner attitude towards my job and career

7. Having to work very long hours

8. Mundane administrative tasks

9. A lack of encouragement by superiors

0. Demands my work makes on my relationship with my spouse/ partner/

children

1. Being undervalued

2. Having to take risks

3. Working with those of the opposite sex

4. Absence of emotional support from others outside work

5. Demands that work makes on my private/ social life

6. Factors not under your direct control

7. Home life with a partner who is also pursuing a career

8. Making important decisions

9. Personality clashes with others

0. Pursuing a career at the expense of home life

This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au
 Section Five: Coping Strategies

Whilst there are various different ways individuals react to sources of pressure and
effects of stress, most people attempt to cope – consciously or subconsciously.

 Below are a number of statements relating to coping strategies. Please rate them in terms of
the extent to which you use them as a way of coping with stress. Please indicate by writing/
typing beside each item a number from the scale below:

1 2 3 4 5
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always

Answer
61. I deal with the problems immediately as they occur

62. I try to recognise my own limitations

63. I ‘buy time’ and stall the issue

64. Look for ways to make the work more interesting

65. Reorganise my work

66. Seek support and advice

67. Resort to hobbies or pastimes

68. Try to deal with the situation objectively in an unemotional way

69. Effective time management

70. Suppress the emotions and try not to let the stress show

71. Having home that is a ‘refuge’

72. Talk to understanding friends

73. Deliberately separate work and home

This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au
74. Stay busy

75. Plan ahead

76. Concentrate on a specific problem

77. Set priorities and deal with problems accordingly

78. Use distractions

79. Resort to rules and regulations

80. Delegation

81. Try to avoid the situation

82. Seek as much social support as possible

Thank you for completing this questionnaire.

Please return to:

alice.l.croxson@studentmail.newcastle.edu.au

Before 30th September 2005.

This project has been approved by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering and Built Environment Research Ethics Committee, Approval No.
FEBE 23:05.

Should you have any concerns about your rights as a participant in this research, or you have a compliant about the manner in which the
research is conducted, it may be given to the researcher, or if an independent person is preferred, to the University’s Human Research Ethics
Officer, The Chancellery, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, telephone 02 4921 6333, email Human-
Ethics@newcastle.edu.au