The Causes and Consequences of Stress in the Workplace

It seems that it’s impossible to talk about stress without mentioning work. Deadlines, pressure from bosses, unpredictable markets, downsizing, family problems, can all stress you out. Over time, stress can take a toll on your physical and mental wellbeing. Unfortunately, workplace stress has become such a daily event, that it is almost viewed as normal or “just part of the job”.

This article explores the causes and consequences of workplace stress. Very often, knowing stress triggers can help you find ways of coping and eliminating bad stress from your life.

Good stress vs. bad stress

Of course, it’s important to realise that not all stress is bad for you. Scientists have found that some kinds of stress are good for you.

Good stress—called eustress—creates feelings of excitement, meaning, satisfaction, and wellbeing. This type of stress can boost your confidence and give you motivation to do your best. For example, you can get eustress at work when you have to take on a new project. The challenge can help you focus your mind and efforts to get the job done well.

However, good stress can quickly become bad stress—called distress. For example, if the new project takes up more of your time than you can afford. Or, you get deadlines that you can’t meet, you will soon find that you start to experience the negative consequences of bad stress. You become distressed.

Consequences of Workplace Stress

When we talk about stress at work, it is usually in a negative context. This is hardly surprising. According to research from the United Kingdom, 54 percent of working days lost were due to work-related stress. Researchers found that stress, anxiety, or depression because of work significantly affects many employees.

Reports from the United States found that 76 percent of stressed-out employees say that work-related stress affects their personal relationships. Stress caused 16 percent of workers to quit their jobs to find work with less stress.

Other consequences of stress at work include:

• Low morale among staff
• High absenteeism
• Increase in work-related injuries and accidents
• Poor motivation
• Unhealthy lifestyle when employee smoke, drink, or overeat to deal with stress

Causes of Stress in the Workplace

It is true that stress can affect people in different ways. Let’s look as the various stressors and triggers that can shoot up stress levels.

• Workload—According to a study by the American Institute of Stress, workload is the top stressor that affects nearly half of all employees. Overtime, demanding deadlines, lack of resources, and inconsistent schedules can all cause workload stress.
• Task-related stressors—People who work in monotonous jobs or in services industries can feel stress. This could because work is undemanding and not challenging. Or, some employee have to deal with aggressive, hysterical, or angry customers.
• Social stressors—For many people, poor social interactions with others can be a source of stress. It’s hardly surprising that in some studies, 35 percent of respondents cite their boss as the biggest source of stress. But there could also be situations such as bullying, difficult co-workers, or aggressive—passive or otherwise—behaviour.
• Role stressors—Stress can happen when someone has to fulfil a number or roles in an organization or where their roles are not clearly identified. This type of stress can happen when someone such as single parent is juggling many different roles both at work and at home.
• Organisational changes—Stress triggers can also come in the form of organisational change in a company. For example, lack of job security causes a lot of stress, especially if there are debts and a mortgage to pay. Very often changes in an organisation can cause a number of previously-mentioned stressors such as overtime or workplace conflicts.

How to cope with stress at work

Dealing with stress is both challenging and personal. What may stress one person out may have little impact on someone else. What are some common ways to manage stress in the workplace? Here are a few:

• Track your stressors—Find out what triggers your feelings of stress. You can find patterns that cause your stress to increase. This can be the first step to dealing with stress better.
• Develop healthy responses—Get into the habit of leading a healthy lifestyle, rather than turning to pastries or alcohol to fight stress. Exercising, taking time out, spending time with your family can all help to deal with stress better.
• Have boundaries—Learn how to say no to some things and switch off from work when you get home. Creating some strategies to have better life-work balance. Boundaries also means learning how to relax.

Talk to a supervisor—Your stress levels can have a direct impact on your work. So, if you’ve identified stressors, speak with someone in HR with the goal of making your work more productive.