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Stress

Frequently asked questions

  1. What is stress?
  2. I am suffering from work-related stress. What should I do?
  3. What are the requirements in the OSH Legislation for dealing with stress?
  4. How do I recognise stress in my workplace?
  5. What are the causes of stress?
  6. Why do I need to address stress in my workplace?
  7. Are the causes of stress costly to fix?
  8. How do I assess the risk of stress in my workplace?

1. What is stress?

Work-related stress is the physiological and emotional responses that occur when the is an imbalance between the job demands and the employee's capabilities and coping resources.Situations that are unfamiliar, challenge or threaten us increase levels of stress.The initial response of stress to personal or work-related psychosocial risk factors is in itself, not an illness. The effects are usually of short duration and have no lasting effects once the stressful situation has passed. Acute or chronic harm to health may result when the employee is unable to cope with persistent and sustained psychosocial risk factors over a long period of time. Severe stress reactionsmay result from exposure to trauma or violence at work.

2. I am suffering from work-related stress. What should I do?

You should:

  • consult with a medical professional (doctor, psychologist); and
  • discuss any work-related issues that you consider to be a problem with your employer.

3.What are the requirements in the OSH Legislation for dealing with work-related stress?

There are no specific requirements in the OSH legislation that deal with work-related stress. However, general duty of care principals apply to the employer and the employee. Under section 19, 21, and 22, the employer, a self employed person or person in control of the workplace is required to, as far as practicable, provide and maintain a working environment in which employees are not exposed to hazards. Workers have an obligation under section 20(2)(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 to report to their employer any situation at the workplace that he or she has reason to believe could constitute a hazard. The employer is required under section 23(K) of the Act to investigate the matter and report back to the worker.

Employers are also required under regulation 3.1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 to identify and assess each hazard to which a person at the workplace is likely to be exposed,and under Section 35(1)(c) of the Act are required to consult with Safety and Health Representatives on any changes to the workplace that may be reasonably expected to affect the health or safety of the employees. This could include changes relating to workload and work practices.

4. How do I recognise work-related stress in my workplace?

When an individual is experiencing work-related stress their behaviour and mood may be affected. This can include:

  • irritability;
  • indecisiveness;
  • lack of or increased appetite;
  • reduced performance;
  • deteriorating relationships;
  • absenteeism;
  • job dissatisfaction;
  • low morale.
  • feeling depressed, bouts of crying;
  • feeling tense, an edge, worry;
  • decreased energy, fatigue; or
  • suicide (extreme cases).


The physical symptoms of stress can result in, but not limited to:

  • increase in smoking/drinking;
  • drug misuse; increased heart rate;
  • heavy breathing;
  • increased muscle tension;
  • headaches;
  • upset stomach;
  • sleep disturbances; or
  • difficulty concentrating.

5. What are the causes of work-related stress?

There will be a wide range of difference in individual reactions to pressure from psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. Perceptions of psychosocial risk factors may vary between individuals. What one individual finds as motivating, may adversely affect the health of another. The individual's ability to cope may also vary throughout their lifetime due to a number of influences. Some of these influences include their coping skills, previous experiences, training and personal difficulties (e.g. divorce and death of spouse).

Although there are many psychosocial risk factors that can lead to the experience of work-related stress, there are six psychosocial risk factors that have been widely researched and are known to be associated with work-related stress:

  • Autonomy/control: The amount of authority the employee has over the way they do their job;
  • Job demands: the amount of workload the employee has to complete, this includes timelines for completing work;
  • Support: the level of support the employee perceives from management and colleagues;
  • Role conflict/ambiguity: the extent that the employee's tasks and duties are clearly defined (i.e. understaffing can lead to employees doing tasks for more than one position);
  • Relationships: the extent of good relationships in the workplace. This can include the presence of bullying and harassment issues in the workplace;
  • Change: involves planned and unplanned change in the work environment. Changes can occur at three levels: personal (i.e. changes to position and responsibilities), management (i.e. new supervisors or processes and procedures), and organisational (i.e. takeover, restructure or redundancies).

Employees may also experience work-related stress from aggressive or violent incidents that occur in the workplace. The experience of work-related stress from aggression and violence can occur from either cumulative events or as a result of a traumatic event.

6. Why do I need to address work-related stress in my workplace?

Apart from the OSH legislation, work-related stress has other consequences for organisations. Work-related stress does not just affect the individual, it can also be very costly to organisations. If workers are suffering from stress, there may be an increase in absenteeism, turnover and a loss of productivity, performance and profitability for the organisation. Furthermore, the average cost of worker's compensation claims for work-related stress tends to be nearly double the average cost of other claims.

7. Are the psychosocial risk factors that lead to work-related stress costly to fix?

Reducing the causes of stress does not need to cost the workplace a lot of money. It may be as simple as reallocating workloads or extending deadlines for projects.Consultation with staff is an important part of identifying andreducing the psychosocial risk factors of work-related stress.

8. How do I assess the risk of stress in my workplace?

A risk assessment for psychosocial risk factors that may lead to harm to health slightly differs from the standard risk assessment.

Basic process for conducting risk assessments of psychosocial risk factors:

Existing managment controls and systems

|

Hazard identification          Consequences         Risk rating

 

  1. Hazard identification - use reliable and valid methods to identify psychosocial risk factors that exist in the workplace. As a minimum basis for psychosocial risk factor identification, self-report measures and workplace interviews should be conducted.
    1. Self-report measures: The most common type of assessment tool used is an employee survey. This assesses the psychosocial risk factors at a group-level, the proportion of employees who may be experiencing the psychosocial risk factors and what impact the psychosocial risk factors may be having on their health.
    2. Workplace Interviews: Interviews should be conducted with a senior manager, line managers and 5% of employees - who must be selected randomly. These structured interviews are designed to provide detailed information on the psychosocial risk factors in the workplace, and the likelihood and severity of harm.
  2. Consequences
    1. Severity of harm- identifies and assesses the possible psychological injuries from exposure to the psychosocial risk factors (e.g. injury data, workers' compensation claims, sickness absence, health surveys).
    2. Likelihood of harm- assesses the likelihood that employees' health will be harmed by the psychosocial risk factors. (e.g. this can be based on the proportion of employees identified by the survey)
  3. Identify existing management controls and employee support systems - identify and assess existing controls and employee support systems that may reduce the risk of harm to health (e.g. policies, management and employee training, employee assistance program).
  4. Risk Rating - what is the risk of harm to health to employees from exposure to the psychosocial risk factors? Consider how existing management controls and employee support systems may reduce the risk (EAP, policies and procedures, management training, stress management training etc).

 

Likelihood of injury of harm to health Consequences of any injury or harm to health Existing systems
Insignificant Moderate Major Catastrophic

How do the existing controls and systems impact on the risk rating?

(increase/decrease?)

Very Likely High Extreme Extreme Extreme
Likely Moderate High Extreme Extreme
Moderate Low High Extreme Extreme
Unlikely Low Moderate High Extreme
High Unlikely (rare) Low Moderate High High

It is up to you to determine, the most appropriate measures to assess the psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. For further information on risk assessments and choosing an appropriate measure, please contact the Human Factors/ Ergonomics Team at WorkSafe.

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