Sources of Stress in the Workplace
3 June 2008
Read by 1641 persons
1. Noise
Research increasingly shows that noise is bad for everyone. For many of us, it starts in the morning traffic jams and only stops once we leave the evening traffic jams. If you also have to work in a noisy environment, it's normal to suffer from some stress. Tourism is one indicator of this nuisance. People are increasingly looking for uninhabited places where they can recover from daily life in peace and quiet.
Lighting
Too much or too little light is also bad for work. By lighting, we also mean the brightness of the computer screen, which can be too bright or too dim and thus cause problems.
Temperature
Many companies today are equipped with sophisticated air conditioning systems. However, the system's fine-tuning is often problematic. You can't force people to endure a constant draft or force them to dress very lightly because of the heat. Without air conditioning, people suffer an extra burden during heat waves.
Occupational Hazards
People who risk their lives every day or risk infection from chemicals or nuclear materials naturally suffer from increased work stress. If safety measures are inadequate, the situation becomes catastrophic.
Ergonomics
People who spend the day in front of a computer often come home with headaches or neck pain. Therefore, working position is important when dealing with stress. Maintaining the same position or making repetitive movements is harmful to your body.
Staffing
Some sectors suffer from a severe lack of staff, forcing some employees to do the work of two (or more). The sectors currently affected are healthcare, education, and IT.
Environment
If a person is not happy to go to their workplace, this can also be linked to the aesthetics of their work environment: some colors act as stimulants and are soothing, while others are sources of stress. The presence of plants or flowers can play a role. Is it a landscaped office, or do workers have their own office? What is the work environment like? The placement of different employees? These are factors to consider when implementing a stress prevention policy.
2. Working Conditions
Irregular Work
Weekend work, night work, and overtime are also causes of stress. A sector that often faces this kind of situation is the healthcare sector. If a nurse does the night shift all week and, due to staff shortages, also has to take care of the shifts for two consecutive weekends, you can imagine the consequences. Family life and free time also suffer. "Flexible" schedules, i.e., those that can change at any time of the day or week, are also stress factors. In the most extreme cases, you may end up doing nothing but waiting for a call from your employer at home.
Remuneration
A salary that is too low will not improve your apprehension about work. It has also been shown that pay-per-performance or commission-based remuneration is not beneficial at all. This may seem strange since these systems were invented to motivate people. However, the effect is the opposite: people feel pressured to stay as long as possible.
Lack of Prospects
Does your job not offer any promotion prospects? Or will you never be able to change departments? You run the risk of going to work with lead feet and seeing signs of stress appear.
3. Working Relationships
You like your job, but you can't rely on your colleagues if you have a problem.
The atmosphere with your colleagues is good, but as soon as the manager arrives, the atmosphere becomes heavy, and no more friendly words are spoken.
You are one of the few women in your department, and coincidentally, it's always you who makes the coffee.
You can't decide your own schedule; you depend on someone else's pace.
All these elements are signs of poor social relations. They will not make your working days easier, and you will find that people who suffer from such conditions eventually can no longer cope with the pressure.
We can therefore deduce that stress is not an illness that only affects business leaders. Indeed, managers often have very short deadlines and a lot of work, but they can generally decide their own hours. They do not depend on someone else's work pace. Moreover, they have the possibility of delegating, which is not the case for ordinary employees.
4. Job Content
The content of your work contributes to your stress level. Is your work too difficult? Are your deadlines too short? Do you have to do the same thing all the time? Does your boss give you instructions but never say concretely what he expects from you? In these cases, you run the risk of being stressed.
Posted on May 22, 2008
references.be
Research increasingly shows that noise is bad for everyone. For many of us, it starts in the morning traffic jams and only stops once we leave the evening traffic jams. If you also have to work in a noisy environment, it's normal to suffer from some stress. Tourism is one indicator of this nuisance. People are increasingly looking for uninhabited places where they can recover from daily life in peace and quiet.
Lighting
Too much or too little light is also bad for work. By lighting, we also mean the brightness of the computer screen, which can be too bright or too dim and thus cause problems.
Temperature
Many companies today are equipped with sophisticated air conditioning systems. However, the system's fine-tuning is often problematic. You can't force people to endure a constant draft or force them to dress very lightly because of the heat. Without air conditioning, people suffer an extra burden during heat waves.
Occupational Hazards
People who risk their lives every day or risk infection from chemicals or nuclear materials naturally suffer from increased work stress. If safety measures are inadequate, the situation becomes catastrophic.
Ergonomics
People who spend the day in front of a computer often come home with headaches or neck pain. Therefore, working position is important when dealing with stress. Maintaining the same position or making repetitive movements is harmful to your body.
Staffing
Some sectors suffer from a severe lack of staff, forcing some employees to do the work of two (or more). The sectors currently affected are healthcare, education, and IT.
Environment
If a person is not happy to go to their workplace, this can also be linked to the aesthetics of their work environment: some colors act as stimulants and are soothing, while others are sources of stress. The presence of plants or flowers can play a role. Is it a landscaped office, or do workers have their own office? What is the work environment like? The placement of different employees? These are factors to consider when implementing a stress prevention policy.
2. Working Conditions
Irregular Work
Weekend work, night work, and overtime are also causes of stress. A sector that often faces this kind of situation is the healthcare sector. If a nurse does the night shift all week and, due to staff shortages, also has to take care of the shifts for two consecutive weekends, you can imagine the consequences. Family life and free time also suffer. "Flexible" schedules, i.e., those that can change at any time of the day or week, are also stress factors. In the most extreme cases, you may end up doing nothing but waiting for a call from your employer at home.
Remuneration
A salary that is too low will not improve your apprehension about work. It has also been shown that pay-per-performance or commission-based remuneration is not beneficial at all. This may seem strange since these systems were invented to motivate people. However, the effect is the opposite: people feel pressured to stay as long as possible.
Lack of Prospects
Does your job not offer any promotion prospects? Or will you never be able to change departments? You run the risk of going to work with lead feet and seeing signs of stress appear.
3. Working Relationships
You like your job, but you can't rely on your colleagues if you have a problem.
The atmosphere with your colleagues is good, but as soon as the manager arrives, the atmosphere becomes heavy, and no more friendly words are spoken.
You are one of the few women in your department, and coincidentally, it's always you who makes the coffee.
You can't decide your own schedule; you depend on someone else's pace.
All these elements are signs of poor social relations. They will not make your working days easier, and you will find that people who suffer from such conditions eventually can no longer cope with the pressure.
We can therefore deduce that stress is not an illness that only affects business leaders. Indeed, managers often have very short deadlines and a lot of work, but they can generally decide their own hours. They do not depend on someone else's work pace. Moreover, they have the possibility of delegating, which is not the case for ordinary employees.
4. Job Content
The content of your work contributes to your stress level. Is your work too difficult? Are your deadlines too short? Do you have to do the same thing all the time? Does your boss give you instructions but never say concretely what he expects from you? In these cases, you run the risk of being stressed.
Posted on May 22, 2008
references.be
