Exam 3 CH 1

subjective or emotional human reaction

anxiety, aggression, guilt

most common forms of stress-related diseases

gastrointestinal, particularly gastric or duodenal ulcers. Research has linked some autoimmune diseases with increased long-term workplace stress.

circadian rhythm

Basic physiological functions are scheduled by the biological clock Many physical and psychological functions are affected by circadian rhythm. Blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, and urine production are measurably slower at night. The same functions are normally faster during the day (active time).

A feeling of responsibility for the welfare or safety of family members

Being responsible for the welfare of his or her family may cause a worker to feel that options to take employment risks are limited. A worker may then perceive that he or she is "trapped in the job." Overly constrained employment options may lead to anxiety and stress. The feeling of being responsible for the safety of the general public has also been shown to be a stressor. Air traffic controllers are known to experience intense stress when their responsibility for public safety is tested by a near-accident event. A feeling of great responsibility associated with a job can transform a routine activity into a stress-inducing task.

Control of employees over their job responsibilities

Being responsible for work without being in control of it is a formula for stress. The more work can be organized and structured to allow for maximum control by those who do it, the less stressful the work will be. In addition, even when workers do feel as if they control the work they are responsible for, if they are monitored electronically, their stress levels tend to rise. In the eyes of a line employee, electronic monitoring is the same as having a supervisor standing over your shoulder constantly. Job control has also been tied to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. Workers with high stress related to a lack of job control experience elevated levels of plasma fibrinogen—a blood-clotting factor that has been linked to cardiovascular events such as heart attacks. A study by Belgian scientists at Ghent University tied not just job stress, but also the specific type of stress associated with a lack of job control, to plasma fibrinogen—a specific medical marker for cardiovascular problems.1

Psychological support

Psychological support from managers and coworkers gives a feeling of acceptance and belonging and helps defuse stress. A lack of such support may increase the perception of a burdensome workload and result in stress

Physiological measures

The effects of stress are not limited to the emotional and psychological. Stress can also affect a person physically, and some of the physical responses can be measured. For example, stress is known to increase blood pressure and heart rate, both of which can be easily measured. Pupil dilation is another physiological response to stress that can, at least, be observed. Other physiological responses are more difficult to measure outside of a controlled laboratory environment. These responses include increased perspiration, inability to sleep, difficulty thinking clearly, and the inability to remember. Much work has been done in controlled laboratory studies in which physiological responses to stress are measured based on analysis of saliva, for example. However, these are not measures that safety professionals can make in a live workplace setting.

behavioral human reaction

accident proneness, trembling

Human Stress Response stages

(1) alarm; (2) resistance; and (3) exhaustion.

Safety and health managers can cope with these four common triggers of stress by applying the following strategies:

(1) prioritize activities by focusing on those that present the most risk to the organization; (2) work closely with the organization's legal staff and subscribe to an online updating service; (3) formalize communication and hold regularly scheduled safety and health meetings for all operating employees; and (4) focus on the risks to the organization and refuse to take sides.

Common Causes of Stress in the Workplace

- Employees have little control over how they do their work. - The consequences of making a mistake on the job are severe. - Workloads vary greatly. - Most work is machine paced or fast paced

The following strategies are recommended for reducing workplace stress:

- Management recognizes workplace stress and takes steps regularly to reduce this stress. - Mental health and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits are provided in the worker's health insurance - The employer has a formal program for communicating with workers. - Workers are regularly given up-to-date information on how to cope with stress - Workers are regularly given up-to-date information on how to cope with stress - Workers have current, accurate, and clear job descriptions - Management and workers talk openly with one another - Workers are free to talk with each other during work - Employers offer wellness programs, exercise facilities, and other stress-reduction classes. - Workers are recognized and rewarded with nonmonetary prizes for their contributions - Work rules are published and are the same for everyone. - Child care programs are available - Workers can work flexible hours - Perks are granted fairly based on a person's level in the organization - Workers have the training, equipment, support, and technology access that they need. - Employers encourage work and personal support groups - Workers have a place and time to relax during the workday. - Elder care programs are available - Employees' work spaces are not crowded. - Workers can put up personal items in their work areas. - Management appreciates humor in the workplace

Specific stressors for safety managers include

- Overload - Ever-changing safety regulations - Communication problems with employees, managers, and supervisors - Competing loyalties

Common Causes of Stress in the Workplace

- Staffing, money, or technology is inadequate. - Pay is below the going rate. - Employees are rotated among shifts

Common Causes of Stress in the Workplace

- The company was recently purchased by another company. - Downsizing or layoffs have occurred in the past year. - Employee benefits were significantly cut recently. - Mandatory overtime is frequently required.

Common Causes of Stress in the Workplace

- Workers must react quickly and accurately to changing conditions. - Personal conflicts on the job are common. - Few opportunities for advancement are available. - Workers cope with a great deal of bureaucracy in getting work done.

Reducing the Stress Associated with Shift Work

. To reduce the stress associated with shift work, safety and health professionals can apply the following strategies: - Encourage shift workers to exercise regularly; - Encourage workers to avoid caffeine, alcohol and other drugs, - if a worker cannot sleep without a type of sleeping aid recommend a natural aid.

Reducing Stress - from low participation or lack of job autonomy

A manager can help employees realize their full potential by helping them match their career goals with the company's goals and giving them more control over their jobs.

Stress

A pathological, and therefore generally undesirable, human reaction to psychological, social, occupational, or environmental stimuli.

Technology that is 24/7/365.

Computers and hand-held technologies have made work for some a 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year enterprise. Rather than relieve people of work-related stress, technology has actually increased the level of stress. Because of technology, some people literally never get away from their work. For example, a smart phone will give people immediate access to their work any time of day from any location within the zone of a cell tower. Further, to recommend that people just turn their smart phones and computers off is unrealistic because when important work issues are pending, the temptation to check for messages from work can be overwhelming.

Workers are regularly given up-to-date information on how to cope with stress

Executives, managers, supervisors, and safety professionals should never assume that workers know how to cope effectively with stress. In fact, it is better to assume they don't. Management should provide up-to-date information on coping strategies to all personnel on a regular basis.

From an evolutionary viewpoint, the adverse effects of stress on health may be considered a maladaptation of humans to stress. What does this tell us?

Either we (1) learn to do away with all stress (unlikely); (2) avoid all stressful situations (equally unlikely); (3) learn to adapt to being sick because of stress (undesirable); or (4) learn to adapt to workplace stress (the optimal choice). The first step in learning to adapt to stress is understanding the amount of stress to which we are subjected.

Work schedules that are unpredictable, never-changing, and ever-changing can induce stress in employees

Employees have lives outside of their jobs. Consequently, the ability to predict their work schedules is important. When work schedules are unpredictable, stress increases. It also increases when work schedules are inflexible—they cannot be changed no matter what other obligation the employee might have. On the other hand, ever-changing work schedules such as those associated with shift work can also increase the level of employee stress. The big-picture issue with regard to work schedules is the level of control employees have over their lives. The less control, the more stress.

exhaustion stage

Eventually, with sustained stress, the stage of exhaustion is reached. This stage is demonstrated by the body's failure to adapt to the continued stress. Psychosomatic diseases such as gastric ulcers, colitis, rashes, and autoimmune disorders may begin during this stage. The tendency to develop a specific stress-related disease may be partially predetermined by heredity, personal habits such as smoking, and personality.

Employers offer wellness programs, exercise facilities, and other stress-reduction classes.

Experts on stress emphasize the importance of exercise and other wellness-related stress-reduction strategies for workers. But workers may not know how to eat right, exercise properly, or apply other stress-reducing strategies. Consequently, offering classes—especially on-site classes—can be an effective management strategy for reducing stress.

Workers can put up personal items in their work areas.

Familiarity and comfort are effective stress reducers. Consequently, allowing workers to personalize their work areas, within reason, can be an effective way to help them cope with job stress.

Employees' work spaces are not crowded.

Feeling crowded is a stress-inducing phenomenon. People who live in large cities understand this. People who visit large cities soon learn it. Workers do not like to fell cramped or crowded as they try to do their jobs. Making sure that workers have sufficient room to do what is expected of them is an effective stress reliever.

Workers have the training, equipment, support, and technology access that they need.

Few things can be more stressful in the workplace than being expected to perform at a certain level but not being provided the resources needed to perform at that level. Organizations should never be guilty of expecting peak performance of workers unless they have provided them with the resources needed to perform at that level.

Management recognizes workplace stress and takes steps regularly to reduce this stress

If this strategy is not in place, other strategies will not work. There must be management recognition of stress as a detriment to safety, quality, and productivity before other strategies can be effective.

Perks are granted fairly based on a person's level in the organization.

In most organizations workers earn certain perquisites as they climb the organizational ladder. Perquisites are provided by organizations as incentives, morale boosters, and performance enhancers. However, if they are not fairly and properly allocated, they can have the opposite effect and cause workers to feel they are being treated unfairly. Such a feeling can cause the stress level in workers to skyrocket. Consequently, it is important for organizations to be clear concerning who can receive what perquisites.

Workers have a place and time to relax during the workday.

It helps to get away from the everyday grind of work during the workday, even for a short time. Workers need to occasionally catch their breath so to speak and they need a place that is comfortable, accessible, and theirs to do this. Providing a comfortable place for workers to take a break and relax during the workday can be an effective stress-reduction strategy.

Elder care programs are available.

Just when the children have grown up and are finally on their own, some workers are faced with the reality of having to take care of their aging parents. Some workers are still taking care of children while also taking care of their aging parents. Few situations could be more demanding and stressful. Consequently, in organizations that employ a significant number of workers who find themselves in this situation, providing access to elder care is just as important as child care.

Workers can work flexible hours.

Life can get complicated for workers who must juggle children, school, college, and other personal responsibilities with work. This juggling act is a major source of stress for some workers. Allowing them to opt for flexible hours can be an effective way to reduce stress from this source.

Reducing Stress - Role Ambiguity

Managers can reduce role ambiguity and stress caused by lack of feedback by providing frequent feedback

Mental health and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits are provided in the worker's health insurance coverage

Mental health is just as important as physical health when it comes to the safety and health of workers. Consequently, it is important that insurance policies cover mental health issues such as stress-related problems. It is also important for organizations to provide an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that covers stress-related problems.

Multitasking.

Much has been made of the concept of multitasking. It was once believed that an individual who was incapable of multitasking was incapable of climbing the corporate ladder. However, the more that is learned about the concept, the more it is being recognized as a stress producer that can actually undermine both productivity and safety. Any time the demands of work exceed an individual's ability to meet them, stress is the result. The more important the tasks in question, the higher the stress level. Trying to accomplish several important tasks simultaneously—multitasking—just multiplies the stress level of workers. An emerging definition of a multitasker is an unfocused individual whose attention is divided among several tasks such that no task gets sufficient attention. In a work setting, this lack of attention can be dangerous.

Work rules are published and are the same for everyone.

One of the more stressful conditions that can exist in the workplace is ambiguity concerning the rules and expectations of management. Further, when the rules and expectations appear to be different for some workers, the issue of favoritism arises. Both situations are stress inducing. They are also indicators of poor management and leadership.

The employer has a formal program for communicating with workers

One of the more stressful situations for workers is to feel that no one is listening. Consequently, it is important to establish a formal communication program that not only keeps workers informed but also allows them to give feedback concerning stress-related problems and other safety and health issues.

Management appreciates humor in the workplace.

One of the most effective stress reducers known is laughter. Consequently, by encouraging humor in the workplace decision makers can help workers cope with stress. Caution is urged though with this strategy. In a diverse workplace, what is funny to one person may not be funny to others.

Child care programs are available.

One of the most stressful situations parents face is having access to affordable child care for their children. One way to relieve the stress from this source is to provide either on-site childcare or cash subsidies for off-site childcare.

Workers have current, accurate, and clear job descriptions

One of the most stressful things workers can confront is ambiguity concerning their job description. Workers need to know what their duties and responsibilities are and what is expected of them. Communicating this information to workers begins with the job description.

Workers are free to talk with each other during work.

Open communication helps improve an organization's safety and health record. Consequently, workers should be encouraged to share what they know, lessons they have learned, and information they have accumulated with other workers, particularly less experienced workers.

Workers are recognized and rewarded with nonmonetary prizes for their contributions.

Organizations demonstrate what is important by what they recognize and reward. If decision makers want workers to take stress reduction seriously, they need to reward and recognize workers who take positive steps to make it happen.

An organizational culture leaves the employee feeling left out

Organizations in which managers fail to communicate frequently and effectively with employees are creating high-stress environments for workers.

Work relationships can lead to on-the-job stress

People are social beings by nature. They like to get along with the people they spend a lot of time with. However, office politics, turf battles, and internal competition for recognition and rewards can be hard on work relationships. When employees do not get along with their fellow workers, stress levels increase.

Human resource management (HRM)

People who work have a vested interest in their wages, salaries, working conditions, and benefits. If even one of these factors is negative, employee stress levels can increase significantly. In addition to these factors, other stress-inducing HRM issues include being underemployed, failing to get promoted, and working in a position that is clearly not valued by management.

Management and workers talk openly with one another.

Some executives and managers are afraid to talk openly with workers about stress and other safety and health issues for fear of "opening a can of worms." They believe the less said about these issues the fewer problems there will be. Their fear is an increase in workers compensation claims based on the power of suggestion. This attitude toward talking with workers about stress and other safety and health issues is outmoded and inaccurate. The better informed workers are, the better able they are to prevent problems.

Employers encourage work and personal support groups.

Sometimes the best support for workers is other workers who face the same problems, challenges, situations, and circumstances every day. By encouraging workers to form their own support groups, organizations can go a long way toward helping them reduce work-related stress.

Stress claims

Stress claims are more burdensome than physical claims because they are typically reviewed in an adversarial environment. This leads to the involvement of expert medical witnesses and attorneys. As a result, even though the benefits awarded for stress-related injuries are typically less than those awarded for physical injuries, the cost of stress claims is often higher because of litigation.

Lack of environmental safety

The lack of environmental safety, including the potential for workplace violence, can also be a cause of stress. Feeling that one is in danger can be a stressor. Workers need to feel safe from environmental hazards such as extreme temperatures, pressure, electricity, fire, explosives, toxic materials, ionizing radiation, noises, and dangerous machinery. To reduce the potential for stress due to environmental hazards, workers should feel that their managers are committed to safety and that their company has an effective safety program.

Making Use of the List of Common Causes of Stress

The list of common causes—if understood by key management personnel—can be used to plan and implement appropriate preventive measures before the cause(s) in question leads to problems

alarm stage

The stage of alarm is characterized by pallor, sweating, and an increased heart rate. This stage is usually short. It prepares the body for whatever action is necessary.

Home and family problems

There was a time when employees were expected to "leave their problems at the front door" when they came to work. This, of course, is a practical impossibility. The demands of raising children, working out home and job schedules, dealing with the conflicting agendas inherent in dual-career households, and otherwise handling the everyday work and home conflicts that inevitably arise can markedly increase an employee's stress level.

Workload demands

These demands may involve time constraints and cognitive constraints such as speed of decision making and mandates for attention. Workload demands may also be physically overwhelming if the worker is poorly matched to the physical requirements of the job or is fatigued. Whenever the worker believes the workload to be too demanding, it can result in stress

Reducing Stress - trouble adapting

Training can help people recognize and deal with stress effectively Employees need to know what is expected of them at any given time and to receive recognition when it is deserved..

resistance stage

When the stress is maintained, the stage of resistance initiates a greater physical response. The alarm symptoms dissipate, and the body develops an adaptation to the stress. The capacity for adaptation during this stage is limited.

organization human reaction

absenteeism and poor productivity

Reducing Stress - Physical stress

can be reduced by improving the work environment and establishing a sound safety and health program. Managers can also assist in the effort to provide varied and independent work with good possibilities for contact and collaboration with fellow workers and for personal development.

Shift work

can require some employees to work when the majority of people are resting. In some cases, shift work requires rotating between two or three different starting times, which may vary by eight hours or more. Shift work has traditionally been required by the medical community, the transportation industry, utilities, security, and, increasingly, by retail sales.

State-dependent data

directly related to the circumstances or state under which they are collected and, therefore, have a built-in state bias.

Psychosocial questionnaires

evaluate workers' emotions about their jobs. Workers may be asked about job satisfaction, workload, pace, opportunities for advancement, management style, and organizational climate. Psychosocial questionnaires are another form of subjective rating and are also subject to state-dependent bias in the data. Regardless of the measurement method, because workplace stress is dependent on personal awareness, no direct means of measuring workplace stress are now available.

cognitive human reaction

inability to concentrate or make decisions

physiological human reaction

increased heart rate and blood pressure

Workplace stress

involves the emotional state resulting from a perceived difference between the level of occupational demand and a person's ability to cope with this demand. Because preparations and emotions are involved, workplace stress is considered a subjective state. An environment that a worker finds stressful may generate feelings of tension, anger, fatigue, confusion, and anxiety.

Job security

involves the risk of unemployment. A worker who believes that his or her job is in jeopardy will experience anxiety and stress. The ready availability of other rewarding employment and a feeling that one's professional skills are needed reduce the stress associated with job security issues.

Example, if layoffs are a possibility, rather than just let fears about job security fester and grow

management personnel can take positive steps to (1) inform workers of the facts and (2) institute reemployment assistance measures so that employees know that anyone who is laid off will at least have help finding a new job.

Measurement of Workplace Stress

one method commonly employed uses a measurement of mental workload. Mental workload can be measured in one of three ways: Subjective ratings/psycho-physiological techniques, behavioral time-sharing. and physiological measures

Sources of job stress include

physical working conditions, workload, role ambiguity, lack of feedback, personality, personal and family problems or role conflict

Task complexity

relates to the number of different demands made on the worker. A job perceived as being too complex may cause feelings of inadequacy and result in emotional stress. Repetitive and monotonous work may lack complexity so that the worker becomes bored and dissatisfied with the job and possibly experiences some stress associated with the boredom.

Psychophysiological techniques

require simultaneous measurement of heart rate and brain waves, which are then interpreted as indexes of mental workload and workplace stress.

Behavioral time-sharing techniques

require the simultaneous performance of two tasks. One of the tasks is considered to be primary or the most important; the other is of secondary importance. The decrease in performance efficiency of the secondary task is considered an index of workload for behavioral time sharing or human multitasking. Workplace stress is thought to increase as behavioral time sharing increases.

Human reactions to workplace stress may be grouped into the following categories:

subjective or emotional; behavioral; cognitive; psychological; and organizational

Example, if management personnel understand that conflict on the job is a stress inducer and that conflict does exist in the organization

they can take the appropriate steps to (1) resolve existing conflicts and (2) institute conflict management strategies including training all employees in conflict resolution and management.

how many stages to human stress response

three

subjective ratings

workers are asked to rate their perceived level of workload. The perceived workload is then viewed as a direct reflection of workplace stress. The workers may be asked to rate their mood in relation to the work situation. The data gathered by this method are obviously subjective and state dependent.