uch as nuclear accidents, bereavement), developmental (such as marriage, job promotion) or ongoing (such as poverty, an alcoholic parent). Some stressors for instance, a job switch or marriage are welcomed changes, but still produce stress. All things being equal, the more stressors people are exposed to, the greater their levels of stress or distress.
The components or aspects of one's work environment can act as stressors producing what has come to be known as "occupational" or "job stress." Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker (Vecchio, 1991). According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (1998), job stress has become a very costly problem in the American workplace. NIOSH reports that one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.
NIOSH (1998) indicates that three-fourths of all American employees believe that modern day workers have more stress on their job than they did a generation ago. Research supports this notion that health complaints and problems are directly related to job stress, even more than to stress produced by either financial or family problems (NIOSH, 1998).
Seppa (1999) reports that job stress has sparked a steady rise in worker compensation claims. In the United States Government, government workers' compensation claims for emotional illness resulting from stress rose more than four-fold between 1981 and 1990. In addition, Seppa (1999) notes that homicide is the leading cause of death in the workplace for women, and the third-leading cause for men. Worker fear of violence and harassment is high, Seppa notes that some occupations are more prone to such fear than others. For example, people who report handling money on the job, working at night or working in the inner city are more likely to hav...