Stress - Risk Factors

Not all work stress is harmful. Studies suggest the following job-related stressors may put people--particularly men--for health risks:

Having no participation in decisions that affect one's responsibilities.
Unrelenting and unreasonable demands for performance.
Lack of effective communication and conflict-resolution methods among workers and employers.
Lack of job security.
Night-shift work, long hours, or both.
Excessive time spent away from home and family.
Wages not commensurate with levels of responsibility.

text continues below

Reducing Stress on the Job. Still, many institutions within the current culture, while paying lip service to stress reduction, put intense pressure on individuals to behave in ways that increase tension. Yet, there are a number of effective management tools and techniques available to reduce stress. Furthermore treatment for work-related stress has proven benefits for both the employee and employer. In one study, at the end of two years, a company that instituted a stress management program saved nearly $150,000 in workmen's compensations costs. (The cost of the program was only $6,000.) Other studies in 2002 and 2003 reported specific health benefits resulting from workplace stress-management programs. In one of the studies, workers with hypertension experienced reduced blood pressure after even a brief (16-hour) program that helped them manage stress behaviorally.

In general, however, few workplaces offer stress management programs, and it is usually up to the employee to find their own ways to reduce stress. Here are some suggestions:

Seek out someone in the Human Resources department or a sympathetic manager and communicate concerns about job stress. Work with them in a non-confrontational way to improve working conditions, letting them know that productivity can be improved if some of the pressure is off.
Establish or reinforce a network of friends at work and at home.
Restructure priorities and eliminate unnecessary tasks.
Learn to focus on positive outcomes.
If the job is unendurable, plan and execute a career change. Send out resumes or work on transfers within the company.
If this isn't possible, be sure to schedule daily pleasant activities and physical exercise during free time.

It may be helpful to keep in mind that bosses are also victimized by the same stressful conditions they are imposing. For example, in a 2001 study of male managers in three Swedish companies, those who worked in a bureaucracy had greater stress-related heart risks than those who worked in companies with social supports.