There is nothing wrong with hard work in the workplace and studies show that a well-organized, well managed and supportive environment, can be positive for our health.
This is evident in giving employees a sense of camaraderie, purpose and achievement. A safe place where they can grow and apply their skill sets to be more productive, fruitful and successful in what they do.
In a workplace which is neither organized, managed or supportive, stress arises. In the workplace one can assign stress to 3 high level categories.
3 High Level Workplace Stress Categories
Organization
- How the company is organized
- Ethos and dynamics of senior management
- Mission, vision, values
Management
- Middle management execution of directives, mission and core values
- Maturity of middle management
- Expectations from senior management and resources
Support
- To perform at optimum levels
- HR progression plan
- Interaction with team members and management
People immersed in ease can see a solution almost instantaneously because their minds are not gyrating in the middle of tangential usually imagined emergencies
~ Nancy Kline (Time to think)
The levels of stress arise in a workplace environment when:
Organization
- Given very high responsibility
- A role that conflicts with another’s role
- Disorganised change within the organisation
- A job or environment that is unstable
- A job that threatens life and or health
- Exterior pressures – demanding clients
- Parent company policies
- Negative press about the business or parent company
Management
- Given more work than they can handle
- Given work outside of their skill set
- Not having a say in what their work is or how to carry it out
- Asked to do things within a very strict or unrealistic timeline
- Issues with other colleagues or bullying
- Sexual harassment
- Code of ethics in workplace
- Not allowed to give feedback
- Are working too many hours
Support
- Lack of clarity of what is being asked of them
- Being under trained for their position
- Offered no encouragement and feeling under valued
- Not given access to the right resources to carry out the job
- No career path management
- No definitive goals or feedback as to performance
- Expectation of working unpaid hours – come early – leave late
- No break-out place or quiet space
- Interruptions during lunchtime
- Sexual harassment
How many of the above can you identify with? If you are seeing aspects of the above categories, then perhaps the workplace you are in is in a stressful condition.
You need help to reduce the levels and improve mental health, establish stress management plans, training that will increase your productivity and well-being.
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