Stress is a vast topic, so vast that many employers (and individuals) ignore it and hope that ‘it’ will not happen to them or that they will deal with ‘it’ when something happens. When individuals or employers do this they are being re-active.
Triggers or causes of stress can come from a wide variety of sources. Some common stressors at work are listed below along with some less obvious triggers. This list is not exhaustive.
- bullying and harassment
- poor communication
- poor management of change
- lack or little consultation
- too many or too few demands (workload – too much/too little; targets/goals etc)
- too little or too much control
- lack of clear instructions
- management style
- poor leadership
- difficulties in relationships
- lack of clarity about your role at work
- lack of policies
- lack of training
- poor work/life balance
The HSE Management Standards relating to stress identified some of these areas and classed them into 6 sections (demand, support, control, role, relationships, change)
Demands – issues such as workload, shift patterns, work environment
Support – encouragement from colleagues, management, resources
Control – how much ‘say’ you have in the way you do your work
Role – lack of clarity, do you understand your role and responsibilities
Relationships – poor working relationships with colleagues, management, unacceptable behaviour, conflict
Change – how change is communicated and managed within the organisation
Check out our CircleSafe ’life’ questionnaire as well as our Steps for Success series of books and online program which not only addresses these six areas but includes much more.
HAPPY HEALTHY EMPLOYEES
HAPPY HEALTHY ORGANISATIONS
