TO UNDERSTAND OCCUPATIONAL STRESS

AMONG BANK EMPLOYEES

Submitted By

Supriya Sunaji Hanumanthkari

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Prof. Varsha Maheshwari

A PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT

OF MMS TO

VIDYALANKAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Wadala (East), Mumbai 400 037

April 2020
 TO UNDERSTAND OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
AMONG BANK EMPLOYEES

Submitted By

Supriya Sunaji Hanumanthkari

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Prof. Varsha Maheshwari

A PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT

OF MMS TO

VIDYALANKAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Wadala (East), Mumbai 400 037

April 2020

Signature of Faculty Guide Head of Department

 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this project report submitted by me to Vidyalankar

Institute of Technology, in completion of the Master in Management Studies
(MMS) under the title “TO UNDERSTAND OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG
BANK EMPLOYEES” has been accomplished under the guidance of Prof.

Varsha Maheshwari is a bona fide work undertaken by me and it has not

been submitted to any other University or institution for the award of any other
degree or diploma certificate or published any time before.

Supriya Sunaji Hanumanthkari

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My project on title “TO UNDERSTAND OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG BANK

EMPLOYEES” has been a great learning experience. I was exposed to the different areas
of research in finance and gained valuable experience, which I will always recall with a
sense of satisfaction and pride.

This is to acknowledge Prof. Varsha Maheshwari under whose guidance I have been able
to carry on this project effectively without any trouble. Her invaluable advice, unwavering
trust and unconditional support helped immensely in timely and successfully completion
of the project.

I am also thankful to Prof. Trupti Naik, Assistant Professor, Department of Management

Studies, for providing valuable feedback and suggestions at various stages of the project as
well as for proving personal guidance whenever needed.

I am grateful to my MMS colleagues Sheetal Dahibavkar and Abhishek Jambhale for

providing pleasant ambience, lifting me up when I was stressed out and for continuously
encouraging me throughout the course of the project. Special thanks to my Class
Representative (CR) Miss. Zainab Vora for her constant efforts being taken for fellow
batchmates. Thanks to all my colleagues who have helped me either directly or indirectly,
I am grateful for their valuable inputs. This project would not have been possible without
their help.

Supriya Hanumanthkari
 Master of Management Studies Department
Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Mumbai-400037

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project entitled “TO UNDERSTAND OCCUPATIONAL
STRESS AMONG BANK EMPLOYEES” is a bona fide work carried out by Miss.
Supriya Sunaji Hanumanthkari in the Masters of Management Studies Department of
Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Mumbai and is submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of the degree of Masters of Management Studies in Finance.

Prof. Varsha Maheshwari

Assistant Professor

Master of Management Studies Department

Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Mumbai

Forwarded by:

Dr. Amit Oak

Professor and Head

Master of Management Studies Department

Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Mumbai

Date:
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This project gives us a detailed idea of what is stress and also the definition of stress is been
defined. For more detailed study the types of the stress is also defined. By looking at the
starting of the project you will find:
o Introduction and Definition of stress
o Stress in biological terms
o What is stress?
o Coping with stress at work place.
o Stress management
o Workplace stress
o Reducing of stress.

By this research project we will be able to know to reduce the stress level of the employees
working in the bank. By this way the productivity of the employee increases
.
Now a day the corporate sector is booming in a high speed that the people have to work for
prolonged hours to maintain the standard of living and achieve their basic needs. So is the
condition in the hospitals, colleges, BPO’s and lots of other places. In spite of having the
modern technologies and facilities, people are feeling themselves to be work loaded and
stressed. Stress arises because of many reasons which are discussed in the following
project. The project report also contains techniques how to reduce the stress and overcome
such problems.
Stress arises because of unfulfilled wants, lack of job satisfaction etc.
 CONTENTS
Sr. No. Description Page No.
1 Introduction 1

2 Coping with stress at workplace 8

3 Stress management 10

4 Workplace stress 13

5 Reduce stress 16

6 Objectives 21

7 Research Methodology 22

8 Employee’s opinion about how to 25

reduce stress

9 Research Flowchart 27

10 Limitations of the study 28

11 Findings and Conclusions 29

12 Bibliography 31
1. INTRODUCTION

A lot of research has been conducted into stress over the last hundred years. Some of the
theories behind it are now settled and accepted; others are still being researched and
debated. During this time, there seems to have been something approaching open warfare
between competing theories and definitions: Views have been passionately held and
aggressively defended.
What complicates this is that intuitively we all feel that we know what stress is, as it is
something, we have all experienced. A definition should therefore be obvious…except that
it is not.

Definition:
Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in 1956 was that
“stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of
exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or
infection is detrimental.” Selye believed that the biochemical effects of stress would be
experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or negative.
Since then, a great deal of further research has been conducted, and ideas have moved on.
Stress is now viewed as a "bad thing", with a range of harmful biochemical and long-term
effects. These effects have rarely been observed in positive situations.
The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to Richard S Lazarus)
is that stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that “demands
exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.” In short, it's
what we feel when we think we've lost control of events.
This is the main definition used by this section of Mind Tools, although we also recognize
that there is an intertwined instinctive stress response to unexpected events. The stress
response inside us is therefore part instinct and part to do with the way we think.

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The types of stress are as follows

Mechanical

Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.
Yield stress, the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically.
Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction.

Biological

Stress (biological), physiological or psychological stress; some types include:

Chronic stress, persistent stress which can lead to illness and mental disorder
Eustress, positive stress that can lead to improved long-term functioning
Workplace stress, stress caused by employment
Music
Accent (music).
Stress (band), an early '80s melodic rock band from San Diego.
Stress (punk band), an early '80s punk rock band from Athens.
Stress (Neo-Psychedelic band), from the late 1980's.
Stress, a song by the French band Justice on their debut album

Other
Stress (game), card game
Stress (linguistics), phonological use of prominence in language
Stress (physics), the average amount of force exerted per unit area.
Stress is a measure of the average amount of force exerted per unit area. It is a measure of
the intensity of the total internal forces acting within a body across imaginary internal
surfaces, as a reaction to external applied forces and body forces. It was introduced into the
theory of elasticity by Cauchy around 1822.

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Stress is a concept that is based on the concept of continuum. In general, stress is expressed
as

Where
Is the average stress, also called engineering or nominal stress, and
Is the force acting over the area .

Chronic Stress
Chronic stress is stress that lasts a long time or occurs frequently. Chronic stress is
potentially damaging.
Symptoms of chronic stress can be upset stomach, headache, backache, Insomnia, anxiety,
depression, anger.
In the most severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder.
There are a variety of methods to control chronic stress, including exercise, healthy diet,
stress management, relaxation techniques, adequate rest, and relaxing hobbies.
Ensuring a healthy diet containing magnesium may help control or eliminate stress, in those
individuals with lower levels of magnesium or those who have a magnesium deficiency.
Chronic stress can also lead to a magnesium deficiency, which can be a factor in continued
chronic stress, and a whole host of other negative medical conditions caused by a
magnesium deficiency.
It has been discovered that there is a huge upsurge in the number of people who suffer from
this condition. A very large number of these new cases suffer from insomnia.
In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, the
authors found that stress plays a role in triggering or worsening depression and
cardiovascular disease and in speeding the progression of HIV/AIDS.

Compressive stress: Compressive stress is the stress applied to materials resulting in their
compaction (decrease of volume). When a material is subjected to compressive stress, then
this material is under compression. Usually, compressive stress applied to bars, columns,
etc. leads to shortening.
Loading a structural element or a specimen will increase the compressive stress until the
reach of compressive strength. According to the properties of the material, failure will occur

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as yield for materials with ductile behavior (most metals, some soils and plastics) or as
rupture for brittle behavior (geometries, cast iron, glass, etc).
In long, slender structural elements -- such as columns or truss bars -- an increase of
compressive force F leads to structural failure due to buckling at lower stress than the
compressive strength.
Compressive stress has stress units (force per unit area), usually with negative values to
indicate the compaction. However in geotechnical engineering, compressive stress is
represented with positive values.

Stress in Biological terms:

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or
animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism,
whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-
term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It refers to the inability of a human
or animal body to respond. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension,
inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and
accelerated heart rate.
The term "stress" was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to identify
physiological responses in laboratory animals. He later broadened and popularized the
concept to include the perceptions and responses of humans trying to adapt to the challenges
of everyday life. In Selye's terminology, "stress" refers to the reaction of the organism, and
"stressor" to the perceived threat. Stress in certain circumstances may be experienced
positively. Eustress, for example, can be an adaptive response prompting the activation of
internal resources to meet challenges and achieve goals.

The term is commonly used by laypersons in a metaphorical rather than literal or biological
sense, as a catch-all for any perceived difficulties in life. It also became a euphemism, a
way of referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being explicitly confessional,
just "stressed out". It covers a huge range of phenomena from mild irritation to the kind of
severe problems that might result in a real breakdown of health. In popular usage almost
any event or situation between these extremes could be described as stressful.

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What is Stress?
Stress refers to the strain from the conflict between our external environment and us,
leading to emotional and physical pressure. In our fast-paced world, it is impossible to live
without stress, whether you are a student or a working adult. There is both positive and
negative stress, depending on each individual’s unique perception of the tension between
the two forces. Not all stress is bad. For example, positive stress, also known as eustress,
can help an individual to function at optimal effectiveness and efficiency.

Hence, it is evident that some form of positive stress can add more color and vibrancy to
our lives. The presence of a deadline, for example, can push us to make the most of our
time and produce greater efficiency. It is important to keep this in mind, as stress
management refers to using stress to our advantage, and not on eradicating the presence of
stress in our lives.

On the other hand, negative stress can result in mental and physical strain. The individual
will experience symptoms such as tensions, headaches, irritability and in extreme cases,
heart palpitations. Hence, whilst some stress may be seen as a motivating force, it is
important to manage stress levels so that it does not have an adverse impact on your health
and relationships.

Part of managing your stress levels include learning about how stress can affect you
emotionally and physically, as well as how to identify if you are performing at your optimal
stress level (OSL) or if you are experiencing negative stress. This knowledge will help you
to identify when you need to take a break, or perhaps seek professional help. It is also your
first step towards developing techniques to managing your stress levels.
Modern day stresses can take the form of monetary needs, or emotional frictions.
Competition at work and an increased workload can also cause greater levels of stress. How
do you identify if you are suffering from excessive stress? Psychological symptoms
commonly experienced include insomnia, headaches and an inability to focus. Physical
symptoms take the form of heart palpitations, breathlessness, excessive sweating and
stomach aches.

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What causes stress?
There are many different causes of stress, and that which causes stress is also known as a
stressor. Common lifestyle stressors include performance, threat, and bereavement
stressors, to name a few. Performance stressors are triggered when an individual is placed
in a situation where he feels a need to excel. This could be during performance appraisals,
lunch with the boss, or giving a speech. Threat stressors are usually when the current
situation poses a dangerous threat, such as an economic downturn, or from an accident.
Lastly, bereavement stressors occur when there is a sense of loss such as the death of a
loved one, or a prized possession.

Thus, there are various stressors, and even more varied methods and techniques of dealing
with stress and turning it to our advantages. In order to do so, we must learn to tell when
we have crossed the line from positive to negative stress.

Good stress v/s Bad stress:

Stress has often been misunderstood to be negative, with few people acknowledging the
importance and usefulness of positive stress. In our everyday lives, stress is everywhere
and definitely unavoidable; hence our emphasis should be on differentiating between what
is good stress, and what is bad. This will help us to learn to cope with negative stress, and
harness the power of positive stress to help us achieve more.
There are 4 main categories of stress, namely eustress, distress, hyper stress and hypo stress.
Negative stress can cause many physical and psychological problems, whilst positive stress
can be very helpful for us. Here’s how we differentiate between them.

Eustress

This is a positive form of stress, which prepares your mind and body for the imminent
challenges that it has perceived. Eustress is a natural physical reaction by your body which
increases blood flow to your muscles, resulting in a higher heart rate. Athletes before a
competition or perhaps a manager before a major presentation would do well with eustress,
allowing them to derive the inspiration and strength that is needed.

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Distress
We are familiar with this word, and know that it is a negative form of stress. This occurs
when the mind and body is unable to cope with changes, and usually occurs when there are
deviations from the norm. They can be categorized into acute stress and chronic stress.
Acute stress is intense, but does not last for long. On the other hand, chronic stress persists
over a long period of time. Trigger events for distress can be a change in job scope or
routine that the person is unable to handle or cope with.

Hyper stress

This is another form of negative stress that occurs when the individual is unable to cope
with the workload. Examples include highly stressful jobs, which require longer working
hours than the individual can handle. If you suspect that you are suffering from hyper stress,
you are likely to have sudden emotional breakdowns over insignificant issues, the
proverbial straws that broke the camel’s back. It is important for you to recognize that your
body needs a break, or you may end up with severe and chronic physical and psychological
reactions.

Hypo stress

Lastly, hypo stress occurs when a person has nothing to do with his time and feels
constantly bored and unmotivated. This is due to an insufficient amount of stress; hence
some stress is inevitable and helpful to us. Companies should avoid having workers who
experience hypo stress as this will cause productivity and mindfulness to fall. If the job
scope is boring and repetitive, it would be a good idea to implement some form of job
rotation so that there is always something new to learn.

The types of stress are named as eustress and distress. Distress is the most commonly
referred to type of stress, having negative implications, whereas eustress is a positive form
of stress, usually related to desirable events in person's life. Both can be equally taxing on
the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person's way of adapting to a change
that has caused it.

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2. COPING WITH STRESS AT WORK PLACE

With the rapid advancement of technology, the stresses faced at work have also increased.
Many people dread going to work, hence the term “Monday Blues”. What is the reason for
this? There is partly the fear from being retrenched in bad times, leading to greater job
insecurity on the part of those who remain. Undoubtedly, occupational stress is one of the
most commonly cited stressors faced by people all over the world.
Stress refers to the pressure and reactions to our environment which results in psychological
and physical reactions. Whilst some stress is good for motivation and increasing efficiency,
too much stress can result in negative impacts such as reduced effectiveness and efficiency.
More and more people are feeling isolated and disrespected at work, and this has led to
greater occupational stress. Many companies have taken to consulting experts and
professionals on ways to increase connectedness and motivation of their employees.
Some companies organize parties and make their employees feel valued at work. These are
measures to motivate employees and help them to feel secure at their jobs, translating into
greater productivity. However, not all companies have such measures in place, and some
have not gotten it quite right. Hence, it is up to you to make sure that you can cope with
stress at your workplace, and use it to help you work better. Here are 3 simple steps to help
you with coping with stress in the workplace.

Step 1: Raising Awareness

Help yourself to identify when you are facing rising levels of stress, tipping the scales from
positive to negative. This is important, as being able to identify signs of being stressed can
help you to take steps to ensure that your overall quality of life does not drop. If left
unacknowledged, the problem will only snowball, leading to disastrous consequences to
your health and overall wellbeing.
You can identify if you are feeling stressed by checking if you have any physical or
psychological reactions, such as excessive sweating or heart palpitations, or the onset of
headaches, irritability or the need to escape. If you experience any of these reactions,
identify if you are feeling any overwhelming negative emotions, and if you are constantly
worried.

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Step 2: Identify the Cause
You need to be able to analyze the situation and identify what is causing the rise in stress.
These stressors can be external and internal. External stressors refer to things beyond your
control, such as the environment or your colleagues at work. Internal stressors refer to your
own thinking and attitude. Often, we only start reacting to stress when a combination of
stressors working together exceeds our ability to cope.
Keep a diary or a list of events that have caused you to feel strong negative emotions, or
that are likely stressors. This will help you to identify the causes of your stress. Whilst it is
not always possible to eradicate them, we can change the way that we cope with it.

Step 3: Coping with Stress

In order to deal with the situation that is causing you stress, you need to calm your mind
and body so as to stave off the reactions and cope with it in a positive way. This can be
through different methods, such as taking time off. If a situation is triggering your stress
and you are unable to calm down, remove yourself from it. Go outside and take a walk to
calm down. Alternatively, you can try implementing relaxation techniques such as deep
breathing. If it is an internal stressor, stop your thought process until you are able to deal
with it logically.

The key to making these 3 steps work for you is to practice them. These are not
instantaneous solutions, and you need to condition your mind and practice them so that you
can implement it when you are feeling stressed.

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3. STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress management is the need of the hour. However hard we try to go beyond a
stress situation, life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety
attacks. Moreover, be it our anxiety, mind-body exhaustion or our erring attitudes, we tend
to overlook causes of stress and the conditions triggered by those. In such unsettling
moments we often forget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly manageable and
treatable.

Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate disorders
such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and muscle cramps
can all result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our immune, cardiovascular
and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual addictions, which are inter-linked with
stress.

Like "stress reactions", "relaxation responses" and stress management techniques

are some of the body's important built-in response systems. As a relaxation response the
body tries to get back balance in its homeostasis. Some hormones released during the 'fight
or flight' situation prompt the body to replace the lost carbohydrates and fats, and restore
the energy level. The knotted nerves, tightened muscles and an exhausted mind crave for
looseness. Unfortunately, today, we don't get relaxing and soothing situations without
asking. To be relaxed we have to strive to create such situations.

Recognizing a stressor:
It is important to recognize whether you are under stress or out of it. Many times, even if
we are under the influence of a stressful condition and our body reacts to it internally as
well as externally, we fail to realize that we are reacting under stress. This also happens
when the causes of stress are there long enough for us to get habituated to them. The body
constantly tries to tell us through symptoms such as rapid palpitation, dizzy spells, tight
muscles or various body aches that something is wrong. It is important to remain attentive
to such symptoms and to learn to cope with the situations.

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We cope better with stressful situation, when we encounter them voluntarily. In cases of
relocation, promotion or layoff, adventurous sports or having a baby, we tend to respond
positively under stress. But, when we are compelled into such situations against our will or
knowledge, more often than not, we wilt at the face of unknown and imagined threats. For
instance, stress may mount when one is coerced into undertaking some work against one's
will.

Laughter:

Adopting a humorous view towards life's situations can take the edge off everyday
stressors. Not being too serious or in a constant alert mode helps maintain the equanimity
of mind and promote clear thinking. Being able to laugh stress away is the smartest way to
ward off its effects.

A sense of humor also allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and
provides moments of delight. The emotions we experience directly affect our immune
system. The positive emotions can create neurochemical changes that buffer the
immunosuppressive effects of stress.

During stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids, which are converted to cortical in
the blood stream. These have an immunosuppressive effect. Dr. Lee Berk and fellow
researcher Dr. Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University School of Medicine have produced
carefully controlled studies showing that the experience of laughter lowers serum cortical
levels, increases the amount and activity of T lymphocytes—the natural killer cells.
Laughter also increases the number of T cells that have suppresser receptors.

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 What Laughter Can Do Against Stress and Its Effects?

• Laughter lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension.

• It provides good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform
physical exercise.

• Reduces stress hormones (studies shows, laughter induces reduction of at least four of
neuroendocrine hormones—epinephrine, cortical, dopac, and growth hormone, associated
with stress response).

• Laughter cleanses the lungs and body tissues of accumulated stale air as it empties more air
than it takes in. It is beneficial for patients suffering from emphysema and other respiratory
ailments.

• It increases muscle flexion, relaxation and fluent blood circulation in body.

• Boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting

proteins called Gamma-interferon and disease-destroying antibodies called B-cells.

• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins—body's natural painkillers.

• Produces a general sense of well-being.

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4. WORKPLACE STRESS

Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is
a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.
Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including psychological
disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and other types of
emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive behaviours (e.g.,
aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g., concentration and memory
problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job
stress is also associated with various biological reactions that may lead ultimately to
compromised health, such as cardiovascular disease.
Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in today's workplace. About one-third of workers
report high levels of stress. One-quarter of employees view their jobs as the number one
stressor in their lives. Three-quarters of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job
stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of
turnover in organizations.

Health and Healthcare Utilization

Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other
life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies
suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the
work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and many other organizations, it is
widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-
extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated with substantial
increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work also
show excessive health care utilization. In a 1998 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs
were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting high levels of stress in comparison to “low
risk” workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an increase of more than $1,700 per
person annually, for workers reporting high levels of both stress and depression.
Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability
periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses.

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Causes of Workplace Stress
Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views
differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary
cause of job stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent stress at
work. According to one school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as
personality and coping skills are most important in predicting whether certain job
conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for one person may not be
a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention strategies that focus on
workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job conditions. Although the
importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific evidence suggests that
certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Such evidence argues for a greater
emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and for job redesign as a
primary prevention strategy. Personal interview surveys of working conditions, including
conditions recognized as risk factors for job stress, were conducted in Member States of
the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Results showed a trend across these periods
suggestive of increasing work intensity. In 1990, the percentage of workers reporting that
they worked at high speeds at least one-fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing
to 54% in 1995 and to 56% in 2000. Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against
tight deadlines at least one-fourth of their working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995
and 60 % in 2000. However, no change was noted in the period 1995–2000 (data not
collected in 1990) in the percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks.
A substantial percentage of Americans work very long hours. By one estimate, more than
26% of men and more than 11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000.
These figures represent a considerable increase over the previous three decades, especially
for women. According to the Department of Labour, there has been an upward trend in
hours worked among employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40 hours)
by men, and a considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples,
particularly couples with young children.

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Signs of Workplace Stress
Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with
family; friends and girlfriends or boyfriends are examples of stress-related problems. The
effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases
take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress.
Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role
in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease,
musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.

Prevention
A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful
approach for preventing stress at work.
How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress
• Ensure that the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and resources. Design
jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their
skills.
• Clearly define workers' roles and responsibilities.
• Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their
jobs.
• Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future
employment prospects.
• Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers.
• Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities
outside the job.
• Discrimination inside the workplace. (e.g. nationality and language )

St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of
stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1) employee
and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures
to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance

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5. REDUCE STRESS

1. Job analysis: - We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much work
to do and too little time to do it in. We can choose to ignore this, and work unreasonably
long hours to stay on top of our workload. The risks here are that we become exhausted,
that we have so much to do that we do a poor quality job and that we neglect other areas of
our life.
Each of these can lead to intense stress.
The alternative is to work more intelligently, by focusing on the things that are important
for job success and reducing the time we spend on low priority tasks. Job Analysis is the
first step in doing this.

The first of the action-oriented skills that we look at is Job Analysis. Job Analysis is a key
technique for managing job overload – an important source of stress.
To do an excellent job, you need to fully understand what is expected of you. While this
may seem obvious, in the hurly-burly of a new, fast-moving, high-pressure role, it is
oftentimes something that is easy to overlook.
By understanding the priorities in your job, and what constitutes success within it, you can
focus on these activities and minimize work on other tasks as much as possible. This helps
you get the greatest return from the work you do, and keep your workload under control.
Job Analysis is a useful technique for getting a firm grip on what really is important in your
job so that you are able to perform excellently. It helps you to cut through clutter and
distraction to get to the heart of what you need to do.

2. Rational & positive thinking: -

You are thinking negatively when you fear the future, put yourself down, criticize yourself
for errors, doubt your abilities, or expect failure. Negative thinking damages confidence,
harms performance and paralyzes mental skills.
Unfortunately, negative thoughts tend to flit into our consciousness, do their damage and
flit back out again, with their significance having barely been noticed. Since we barely
realize that they were there, we do not challenge them properly, which means that they can
be completely incorrect and wrong.

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One approach to it is to observe your "stream of consciousness" as you think about the thing
you're trying to achieve which is stressful. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead, just let
them run their course while you watch them, and write them down on our free worksheet
as they occur. Then let them go.

Another more general approach to Thought Awareness comes with logging stress in your
Stress Diary. When you analyze your diary at the end of the period, you should be able to
see the most common and the most damaging thoughts. Tackle these as a priority using the
techniques below.
Here are some typical negative thoughts you might experience when preparing to give a
major presentation:
• Fear about the quality of your performance or of problems that may interfere with
it;
• Worry about how the audience (especially important people in it like your boss) or
the press may react to you;
• Dwelling on the negative consequences of a poor performance; or Self-criticism
over a less-than-perfect rehearsal.
• Thought awareness is the first step in the process of managing negative thoughts,
as you cannot manage thoughts that you are unaware of.

Rational Thinking
The next step in dealing with negative thinking is to challenge the negative thoughts
that you identified using the Thought Awareness technique. Look at every thought you
wrote down and challenge it rationally. Ask yourself whether the thought is reasonable.
What evidence is there for and against the thought? Would your colleagues and mentors
agree or disagree with it? Looking at the examples, the following challenges could be made
to the negative thoughts we identified earlier:

Feelings of inadequacy: Have you trained yourself as well as you reasonably should have?
Do you have the experience and resources you need to make the presentation?

Have you planned, prepared and rehearsed enough? If you have done all of these, you've
done as much as you can to give a good performance.
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Worries about performance during rehearsal: If some of your practice was less than
perfect, then remind yourself that the purpose of the practice is to identify areas for
improvement, so that these can be sorted out before the performance.

Problems with issues outside your control: Have you identified the risks of these things
happening, and have you taken steps to reduce the likelihood of them happening or their
impact if they do? What will you do if they occur? And what do you need others to do for
you?

Worry about other people's reactions: If you have prepared well, and you
do the best you can, then you should be satisfied. If you perform as well as you. reasonably
can, then fair people are likely to respond well. If people are not fair, the

Tip:
If you find it difficult to look at your negative thoughts objectively, imagine
that you are your best friend or a respected coach or mentor. Look at the list
of negative thoughts and imagine the negative thoughts were written by
someone you were giving objective advice to. Then, think how you would
challenge these thoughts.

Tip:
Don't make the mistake of generalizing a single incident. OK, you made a
mistake at work, but that doesn't mean you're bad at your job.
Similarly, make sure you take the long view about incidents that you're
finding stressful. Just because you're finding these new responsibilities
stressful now, doesn't mean that they will ALWAYS be so for you in the
future.

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When you challenge negative thoughts rationally, you should be able to see quickly whether
the thoughts are wrong or whether they have some substance to them. Where there is some
substance, take appropriate action. However, make sure that your negative thoughts are
genuinely important to achieving your goals, and don't just reflect a lack of experience,
which everyone has to go through at some stage.

Positive Thinking & Opportunity Seeking

By now, you should already be feeling more positive. The final step is to prepare rational,
positive thoughts and affirmations to counter any remaining negativity. It can also be useful
to look at the situation and see if there are any useful opportunities that are offered by it. By
basing your affirmations on the clear, rational assessments of facts that you made using
Rational Thinking, you can use them to undo the damage that negative thinking may have
done to your self-confidence.

Tip:
Your affirmations will be strongest if they are specific, are expressed in the
present tense and have strong emotional content.

Continuing the examples above, positive affirmations might be:

• Problems during practice: "I have learned from my rehearsals. This has put me in
a position where I can deliver a great performance. I am going to perform well and
enjoy the event."

• Worries about performance: "I have prepared well and rehearsed thoroughly. I am
well positioned to give an excellent performance."

• Problems issues outside your control: "I have thought through everything that
might reasonably happen and have planned how I can handle all likely
contingencies. I am very well placed to react flexibly to events."

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 • Worry about other people's reaction: "Fair people will react well to a good
performance. I will rise above any unfair criticism in a mature and professional way."

If appropriate, write these affirmations down on your worksheet so that you can use them
when you need them.
As well as allowing you to structure useful affirmations, part of Positive Thinking is to look
at opportunities that the situation might offer to you. In the examples above, successfully
overcoming the situations causing the original negative thinking will open up opportunities.
You will acquire new skills, you will be seen as someone who can handle difficult
challenges, and you may open up new career opportunities.
Make sure that identifying these opportunities and focusing on them is part of your positive
thinking.

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 6. OBJECTIVE

This research carries out the study about how much stressed the employees of the banks are
and how do their stress affect their work life, social life, output etc. So, a sample of 14 to 15
employees are selected from all the three banks for the research of stress among them.

 To study the work-related stress among bank employees

 To study the different types of occupational stress
 To study how to reduce such work-related stress

Stress is not necessarily bad in and of itself. Although stress is typically discussed in a
negative context, it also has a positive value. It’s an opportunity when it offers potential
gain. Consider for example, the superior performance that an athlete or stage performer
gives in “clutch” situations. Such individuals often use stress positively to rise to the
occasion and perform at or near their maximum. Similarly, many professionals see the
pressures of heavy workloads and deadlines as positive challenges that enhance the quality
of their work and the satisfaction the get from their job.

But it is different in the case of bank employees. The bank employees are the people who
also have to achieve the certain target and so for the non-achievement of target the
employees remain stressed and tensed. The employees who have the simple table work also
have to face the problem of stress. Due to recession the banking sector is also facing the
problem of employee cut-offs and so the work load of the existing employees increases and
the feel stressed.

The unsettling moments we often forget that stressors, if not escapable, are fairly
manageable and treatable.

Stress, either quick or constant, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate disorders
such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, sleeplessness, nervousness and muscle cramps
can all result in chronic health problems. They may also affect our immune, cardiovascular
and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual addictions, which are inter-linked with
stress

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7. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Sample: I have taken the sample of 35 employees from three different banks of Mumbai.
All the employees were of the same designations.

Reason: As we find the employees of the bank to be more stressful as more and more
employees are taking VRS and are dismissed because of inflation. I have selected only those
three banks which are affiliated to the public and are specialized in consumer needs
fulfilment It is incumbent on the researcher to clearly define the target population. There are
no strict rules to follow, and the researcher must rely on logic and judgment. The population
is defined in keeping with the objectives of the study.
Sometimes, the entire population will be sufficiently small, and the researcher can include
the entire population in the study. This type of research is called a census study because data
is gathered on every member of the population.
Usually, the population is too large for the researcher to attempt to survey all of its members.
A small, but carefully chosen sample can be used to represent the population. The sample
reflects the characteristics of the population from which it is drawn.
Sampling methods are classified as either probability or non-probability. In probability
samples, each member of the population has a known non-zero probability of being selected.
Probability methods include random sampling, systematic sampling, and stratified
sampling. In non-probability sampling, members are selected from the population in some
non-random manner. These include convenience sampling, judgment sampling, quota
sampling, and snowball sampling. The advantage of probability sampling is that sampling
error can be calculated. Sampling error is the degree to which a sample might differ from
the population. When inferring to the population, results are reported plus or minus the
sampling error. In non-probability sampling, the degree to which the sample differs from
the population remains unknown.

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Random sampling is the purest form of probability sampling. Each member of the
population has an equal and known chance of being selected. When there are very large
populations, it is often difficult or impossible to identify every member of the population,
so the pool of available subjects becomes biased.

Systematic sampling is often used instead of random sampling. It is also called an Nth
name selection technique. After the required sample size has been calculated, every Nth
record is selected from a list of population members. As long as the list does not contain any
hidden order, this sampling method is as good as the random sampling method. Its only
advantage over the random sampling technique is simplicity. Systematic sampling is
frequently used to select a specified number of records from a computer file.

Stratified sampling is commonly used probability method that is superior to random

sampling because it reduces sampling error. A stratum is a subset of the population that
shares at least one common characteristic. The researcher first identifies the relevant
stratums and their actual representation in the population. Random sampling is then used to
select subjects from each stratum until the number of subjects in that stratum is proportional
to its frequency in the population. Stratified sampling is often used when one or more of the
stratums in the population have a low incidence relative to the other stratums.

Convenience sampling is used in exploratory research where the researcher is interested in

getting an inexpensive approximation of the truth. As the name implies, the sample is
selected because they are convenient. This non-probability method is often used during
preliminary research efforts to get a gross estimate of the results, without incurring the cost
or time required to select a random sample.

Judgment sampling is a common non-probability method. The researcher selects the

sample based on judgment. This is usually and extension of convenience sampling. For
example, a researcher may decide to draw the entire sample from one "representative" city,
even though the population includes all cities. When using this method, the researcher must
be confident that the chosen sample is truly representative of the entire population.

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Quota sampling is the non-probability equivalent of stratified sampling. Like stratified
sampling, the researcher first identifies the stratums and their proportions as they are
represented in the population. Then convenience or judgment sampling is used to select the
required number of subjects from each stratum. This differs from stratified sampling, where
the stratums are filled by random sampling.

Snowball sampling is a special non-probability method used when the desired sample
characteristic is rare. It may be extremely difficult or cost prohibitive to locate respondents
in these situations. Snowball sampling relies on referrals from initial subjects to generate
additional subjects. While this technique can dramatically lower search costs, it comes at
the expense of introducing bias because the technique itself reduces the likelihood that the
sample will represent a good cross section from the population.

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8. EMPLOYEE’S OPINION ABOUT HOW TO REDUCE STRESS
This project consists of the information about the employees undergoing from stress who
working in the banks. So considering this factor this topic becomes one of the most
important part of the project as it consists of the opinion of the employees who work in the
banks. In short it was a direct interview of the employees who gave their opinion about how
to reduce stress. The response of employees in the major banks of Bhavnagar like State
Bank of Saurashtra, The AXIS Bank, and The HDFC bank was marvelous and they have
given their valuable opinion about reducing stress as a result of the last question included in
the questionnaire 2. So the opinion if the employees were as follows:

 “Just smile away” An employee- HDFC Bank

 “Just believe in your self and just do what your heart wants” An employee- HDFC Bank
 “Talking to family members, - Watching TV or listening good music, - Going for a walk or
long drive” An employee- HDFC Bank
 “Believe in God” An employee- HDFC Bank
 “Respect yourself and give time to yourself” An employee- HDFC Bank
 “Working in environment welfares, lot of positive attitude. Positive attitude is only that
reduces stress and achieves success. Most of the people frustrate due to lack of positivity
and stress level climbs up due to that. So get positive attitude about work, about life, and
forget the stress” An employee- AXIS Bank
 “We should do such activities from which we get happiness and also make others happy.
Pass your time with your close friends and relatives.” An employee- AXIS Bank
 “Play and watch cricket” An employee- AXIS Bank
 “Listen music and spend time with family” An employee- SBS Bank
 “Get adjusted with others, Find and spend time for prayer, Study the scriptures, See oneness
in all, All are manifested of the supreme GOD” An employee- SBS Bank

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These opinions are seemed to be valuable and effective as one of the effective things has
been noticed that the employees who have got less than 18 marks in the Burnout test have
given their opinions about reducing the stress.

It is also noticed that in the AXIS bank Bhavnagar in the time of afternoon slow instrumental
music are been played so that the employees can work stress free. This is one of the positive
things which are seen in the organization who is caring for their employees.
This will help the organization to boost up the productivity.

From the certain sample of employees selected for the research, only 10 employees have
given their opinion how to reduce stress. So we can understand that how overloaded the
employees of the bank are.

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9. RESEARCH FLOWCHART

Questionnaire research design proceeds in an orderly and specific manner. Each item in the
flow chart depends upon the successful completion of all the previous items. Therefore, it
is important not to skip a single step. Notice that there are two feedback loops in the flow
chart to allow revisions to the methodology and instruments.

Design Methodology

Determine Feasibility

Develop Instruments

Select Sample

Conduct Pilot Test

Revise Instruments

Conduct Research

Analyze Data

Prepare Report

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 10. LIMITATION OF THE SURVEY

 The questionnaires were filled be 35 employees working in the three major Banks of
Mumbai i.e. Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and SBS Bank. So the scope of sample findings was
less.

 The questionnaire was filled by 35 employees of different designations. So the point of view
of employees differs as per their designations.

 The employees from whom the questionnaires are filled are in a heavy workload so some of
the questionnaires filled by the employees who are in stress cannot be called reasonable.

 The responses of the employees cannot be accurate as the problem of language and
understanding arises. (These problems are not in all cases.)

 One of the other problems of questionnaire is the cost. Sometimes it may be possible that
even by spending so much the result may not be reasonable.

 Many times the employees may not be really conscious or may not be bothered about the
questionnaire. This may create a problem in the research.

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11. FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS
It is analysed from the questionnaire filled by the employees that the employees
who have scored more than 20 marks in the burnout test are not satisfied with the
performance which they give in the organization. Thus, it is proved that the employees who
are desired to give better performance than their original performance are found more
stressful than the others. While at the same time the employ that have scored less than 20
marks in the burnout test are satisfied with the performance. From the sample of 35 bank
employees who have been surveyed, one is found to be a heart patient. This can be because
of high level of stress.

Very rare of the employee are to be found suffering from depression. It is proved
from the survey that the employees who have scored more than 25 marks in the burnout test
are concern about the opinion of their colleagues. And the employees who got less than 25
marks do not mind about their colleague’s opinion. Thus it is proved that the colleagues
opinion also play a lead role in the increase and decrease of the stress level. Those who mind
about their colleague’s opinion are found to be more stressful.

The employees who have scored 28-29 marks in the burnout test don’t believe in sharing
their problems with their spouse or friend or any closed one. Thus we can say that sharing
your problems with your spouse or close friends is a better idea to reduce stress.

In the second questionnaire one of the questions was “You have an important
function at your home and your boss asks to give a 4 hour over time what will be your
response ‘Yes or No’?” the employees have given their opinion as per their mood.
While considering the point of view of entertainment it depends upon the mood
of the employees. The entertainment is considered one of the most ultimate solutions to
reduce stress. Most of the employees do not spend regular time in entertainment. This may
be because they may not be getting time for entertainment or they may not be interested in
the same.

One of the questions was asked that were their social life balanced? It is observed that the
employees who have scored above 20 marks in the burnout test did not have their social life

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balanced. Thus, we can conclude that the employees who are above 20 don’t have their
social life balanced. Thus, it is proved that stress may affect our social life also.
The employees were asked whether they plan their work or not, moderate answers were
given. The employees scoring more than 25 marks were not found their work planned. Thus
the employees who plan their work have scored below 25 marks in the burnout test except
some cases as there are always some drawbacks in making plan. Failure of a plan may also
lead a person to stress. Thus, we can conclude that planning of the work may help to reduce
stress level.

Most of the employees who have scored more than 20 marks fear about their quality of work
they give. This aspect is not dependent of the burnout level. This aspect depends upon the
dedication of work. So it is meaningless to compare this question with the burnout test.

A question was asked that weather you get stressed at the non-achievement of their target?
All the employees have responded positively. But this is not concern with the burnout score.
From this we can conclude that all the employees are given achievable target and naturally
by the non-achievement of the target all the employees may get stressed. One of the other
possibilities is that the employees have responded positively to show themselves to be good.

The employees having more than 10 marks in the burnout test says that they are under stress.
Out of 35 employees of the sample 20 of the employees accepted that the reason for their
stress is workload. 10 employees are not stressed because of the workload but because of
their family problem. 5 of the employees are not suffering from stress. 14 employees out of
30 employees who are stressed feel stressful when their boss scolds them while 16
employees refused that they are not stressed because their boss scolds them. All the 30
employees have accepted that they try to find the solution of their stress. 10 employees out
of 30 employees practice yoga to reduce their stress and the other 20 employees don’t
practice yoga. The burnout scores of the employees who practice yoga are either more than
25 or less than 20. Thus, we can conclude that the employees have reduced their stress by
yoga therapy and other employees have just started the yoga because of high level of burnout

The above analysis is done by the data received from the questionnaire. So, the accuracy of
data depends upon the response of the employees

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

o www.mindtool.com
o Organizational Behaviour “Stephen P. Robbins”
o Burn Out tool – Questionnaire
o Self-analysis of questionnaire

https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-kinds

https://www.healthline.com/health/whats-your-stress-type

https://www.verywellmind.com/types-of-stress-and-stress-relief techniques-3144482

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/albrecht-stress.htm

https://explorable.com/three-different-kinds-of-stress

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