Conditions that Lead to Stress
Based on experience and research, NIOSH favors the view that working conditions play a primary role in causing job stress. However, the role of individual factors is not ignored. According to the NIOSH view, exposure to stressful working conditions (called job stressors) can have a direct influence on worker safety and health. But as shown below, individual and other situational factors can intervene to strengthen or weaken this influence. Theresa’s need to care for her ill mother is an increasingly common example of an individual or situational factor that may intensify the effects of stressful working conditions. 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
Conditions that lead to Stress
- Fear of being laid off
- More overtime due to staff cutbacks
- Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction
- Pressure to work at optimum levels—all the time!
- Lack of control over how you do your work
- Working Remote
- Corona Virus (Covid 19) is now also a factor
Other Conditions that will 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.
