Increased levels of stress have been identified as a major problem in the workplace today. Such stress contributes to a variety of personal and work-related problems for employees and to increased costs for business. Problems in the workplace can range from absenteeism and poor work habits to violence against coworkers. Businesses today are seeking ways to reduce stress, and the first step is to identify the sources of stress and to find ways to prevent them or reduce their effects. Some jobs simply involve high levels of stress, though, and for such jobs special efforts must be made to provide services to workers to combat the effects of high stress. The Human Resources Manager needs to understand the nature of stress and the means to control it.
Stress in itself can be a good thing when the level of stress is not too high and when the individual is able to control the stress and its effects. Mark Greener emphasizes that stress is a response to change in the environment and that any change can lead to stress, even if the change itself is enjoyable. Stress has been identified by the Trade Union Congress in Britain as the biggest health hazard faced by workers. Stress is not a new problem, though it is better recognized today as a concern for the business world and as a contributing factor in the development of a number of diseases. Today, people are working longer hours and feeling less secure about their jobs, both of which add to stress. Women face increased stress as they more and more try to juggle the demands of work and home (Reaney, 1996, Reuters News Service).
Many of the processes and changes facing business today are contributing to stress in the workplace. Such actions as downsizing, outsourcing, and reengineering increase stress for workers as they add to the hours worked and the insecurity felt by employees. Fortune magazine notes that one effect has been an increase in incivility in the workplace both to...