Chapter 3

WORK-RELATED STRESS AND STRESS

MANAGEMENT
 Course Outcomes

• Describe the elements of work-

related stress
Learning Outcomes

1. What is stress? ( Page 108)

2. Consequences of DISTRESS (Page 109)

3. Stressors: The Causes of STRESS (Page 110 –

112)

4. Individual Differences in STRESS (Page 112)

5. Managing work-related STRESS (Page 113 –

115)
 What Is Stress?

[Stress] – Unconscious preparation to fight

or flee that a person experiences when
faced with any situation
OR
An adaptive response to situation that is
perceived as challenging or threatening to
the person’s well being
[Stressor ] – The causes of stress include
any environment conditions that triggers
person to response
 TYPES OF STRESS

DISTRESS: EUSTRESS:
Painful experienced from the job, Healthy and positive experienced
which caused the physiological, from stress response that
psychological and behavioral of a motivate the person to activate &
person to malfunction achieve goals
CONSEQUENCES OF DISTRESS

BEHAVIORAL
PHYSIOLOGICAL (Higher absenteeism,
(heart disease, strokes, Workplace violence,
headaches, backaches)) Workplace accidents,
Decrease job performance )

PSYCHOLOGICAL
(depression, burnout *,
Moodiness, exhaustion)

*Job Burnout: Process of emotional exhaustion,

cynicism & reduced personal accomplishment
that results from prolonged exposure to stress
 STRESSORS: CAUSES OF
STRESS
1. HARASSMENT AND INCIVILITY

Most common group of workplace stressor

are: Psychological & Sexual Harassment

Psychological Harassment: One of the fastest growing sources

of workplace stress – repeated hostile, unwanted conduct,
verbal comments, actions, and gestures – undermine and
employee’s dignity or psychological or physical integrity.
Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome conduct
of a sexual nature that affects the work
environment or leads to painful experienced
for its victims.
STRESSORS: CAUSES OF
STRESS

i) 2 Types of Sexual Harassment:

a) Quid Pro Quo: Situations on

person’s job performance that is
conditional on unwanted sexual
relations (Eg: Male supervisor threatening
to fire a female employee if she did not
accept his sexual advances)

b) Hostile work environment: Person

experience sexual conduct from other that
unreasonably interferes on his / her work
performance intimidating (Eg: posting
pornographic material)
Strategies in Minimizing
Sexual Harassment
1. Develop policies and culture of a
more respectful workplace.
2. Screen job applicants for past
incidents where they have harassed
others.
3. Use multi-source (360-degree)
feedback to identify harassing
behavior.
4. Develop a trustworthy conflict
resolution process.
 CAUSES OF STRESS

2. WORKOVERLOAD
Today, professional and management worked 60 – 80
hours per week, keep on working through most health
problems and take almost no real vacation.

Why do employees work such long hours?

a. Effects of technology and globalization
b. People requires more income through longer work
hours that able them to buy more goods and services
c. “Ideal worker norm” – Professionals expect
employees to work longer hours
 3. LOW TASK CONTROL

STRESS

Where a person’s work is paced by machine which involves

monitoring equipment or work schedule is controlled
by someone else.
( Eg: computers, cell phones & other technology control
employee time and intrude on their private lives)
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
IN STRESS
• People experience different stress levels
when exposed to the same stressor

• First of the factor – employee’s physical

health
• Second factor – coping strategies employees
use to ward off a particular stressor
• Third factor - personality
STRESS & OCCUPATIONS
MANAGING WORK-RELATED STRESS
1. REMOVE THE STRESSOR

a. Investigate the main causes of stress

b. Change corporate culture & reward systems
c. Empower employees when doing their work
 COMMON WORK-LIFE
BALANCE

Flexible and limited work

Job Sharing Telecommuting
time
- splits a career position - involves working from home
- limiting the number of hours
between two people so that or a site close to home rather
that employees are expected
they experiences less time- than commuting a longer
to work and giving them
based stress between work an distance to the office every
flexibility in scheduling their
family day
work

Personal Leave
- extended maternity and Child Care Support
paternity, and personal leave
- provide on-site or
for employees to care for a
subsidized child care facilities
new family or take advantage
of a personal experience
2. WITHDRAW FROM THE
STRESSOR
• Permanent Withdrawal
– Remove employees from jobs not
aligned with their competencies
• Temporary Withdrawal
– Coffee/lunch breaks
– Karaoke breaks (photo)
– Sabbaticals
3. CHANGE STRESS PERCEPTION

• Minimize the perceptions of any situation

(be +)
• Strengthen our self-efficacy & self-
esteem so that job challenges are not
perceived as threatening
4. CONTROL STRESS CONSEQUENCES

• Physical exercise helps

employees lower their
respiration, muscle
tension, and heart rate.

• Do relaxation &
medication

• Subscribe any fitness &

wellness program
5. Receive Social Support

• Employee must believed

that they are valued and
worthy
• Organization must
provide information to
help employees remove
the stressor
• Help to buffer the stress
experience
END