COLLEGE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

HIGHER DIPLOMA IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (SEPT. 2022

INTAKE)

COURSE NAME: COUNSELLING

GROUP ASSIGNMENT

GROUP 1 MEMBERS
Name Registration Number
1. Serah Uthasyo HD-00411
2. Mirriam Kasyoki HD-00419
3. Eric Mwai HD-00414

TASK:
Discuss Stress and Stress Management in the Workplace
What is work-related stress?
The WHO defines stress as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychologi
cal strain, and work-related stress as the response people may have when presented with work
demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which
challenge their ability to cope. It occurs in a wide range of work circumstances but is often m
ade worse when employees feel they have little support from supervisors and colleagues and l
ittle control over work processes.
Pressure and Stress
It’s well-recognized that excessive or sustained work pressure can lead to stress. Occupationa
l stress poses a risk to businesses and can result in higher sickness absence, lower staff engag
ement and reduced productivity.
There is sometimes confusion between the terms 'pressure' and 'stress'. It’s healthy and essent
ial that people experience challenges within their lives that cause levels of pressure, for exam
ple the need to make decisions quickly when faced with a dangerous situation. And up to a ce
rtain point, an increase in pressure can improve performance, such as feeling motivated to me
et a deadline. However, if pressure becomes excessive, and/or continues for an extended peri
od of time, it can become harmful to health. It’s also important to remember that every indivi
dual is different and their experience of pressure, and when that can tip into stress, will vary.
Work-related stress is determined by psychosocial hazards found in (www.ilo.org, 2014):
 work organization,
 work design,
 working conditions, and
 labor relations.
Sources of stress
The sources of stress can be classified in the following major categories which include;
1. Intrinsic to job
 Workloads/volume of work
 Long hours
 Heavy workload
 Tight deadlines
 Boring work
 Physical work environment
 Lack of support
 Inadequate working environment
 Lack of proper resources
 Lack of equipment
 Harassment
 Discrimination
 Crisis incidents, such as an armed hold-up or workplace death.
 Trauma.

2. Role in the organization

 Changes to duties
 Job content and demands
 Role conflict

3. Career development
 Job insecurity
 Insufficient skills for the job
 Few promotional opportunities
4. Relationship at work
 Poor relationships with colleagues or bosses
 Organisation culture
 Bad management practices

5. Organization structure
 Management style.
 Changes within the organisation
 Lack of autonomy
 Over-supervision
 6. Non-work Factors
 Relationship or family issues.
 Personal illness or health issues.
 COVID-related anxiety, for example, fear of contagion in the workplace/commute.
 New work-related demands or challenges due to homeworking as a result of COVID-
19.

 Poor work-life balance due to homeworking as a result of COVID-19 and other

internal and external factors.

Signs of stress
Signs that indicate employees may be suffering from excessive pressure or stress could be ch
anges in behaviour or performance. The kinds of change that may occur are listed below, but
the important point to remember is being alert to any uncharacteristic behaviour in employees
whilst not making any judgments. It’s important to have an empathetic conversation with som
eone if you are concerned as a HR person.
Work performance
 Declining/inconsistent performance.
 Uncharacteristic errors.
 Loss of motivation/commitment.
 Lapses in memory.
 Increased time at work.
 Lack of holiday planning/usage.
Conflict and emotional signs
 Crying.
 Arguments.
 Undue sensitivity.
 Irritability/moodiness.
 Over-reaction to problems.
 Personality clashes.
Withdrawal
 Arriving late to work.
 Leaving early.
 Absenteeism.
 Reduced social contacts.
Aggressive behaviour
 Malicious gossip.
 Criticism of others.
 Bullying or harassment.
 Temper outbursts.
Other behaviours
 Difficulty relaxing.
 Increased consumption of alcohol.
 Increased smoking.
 Lack of interest in appearance/hygiene.
 Accidents at home or work.
Physical signs
 Nervous stumbling speech.
 Sweating.
 Tiredness/lethargy.
 Upset stomach/flatulence.
 Tension headaches.
 Rapid weight gain or loss.
Stress management and dealing with stress at work
Employers should approach stress management proactively, focusing on prevention and early
intervention, and not just responding when a problem becomes significant or when someone
goes on sick leave.
Developing an organizational framework such as a mental health at work commitment
framework for the organization to implement and help achieve better mental health outcomes
for employees. The framework can include:
 Prioritizing mental health in the workplace by developing and delivering a systematic
programme of activity.
 Proactively ensure work design and organisational culture drive positive mental health
outcomes.
 Promote an open culture around mental health.
 Increase organisational confidence and capability
 Provide mental health tools and support.
 Increase transparency and accountability through internal and external reporting.
The main areas of work design that can affect stress levels, and need to be managed properly
include:
 Demands: for example, workload and the working environment.
 Control: for example. how much say someone has over their job.
 Support: for example, level of supervision and resources available to do the job.
 Relationships: for example. promoting positive working to help prevent conflict.
 Role: for example, making sure people understand their role and how it fits in the org
anisation.
 Change: for example, how organisational change is managed and communicated.

There are several approaches organisations can take to address stress at work. Most common
methods used to identify and reduce stress in the workplace:

 Employee assistance programme.

 Flexible working options/improved work-life balance. 
 Staff surveys and/or focus groups to identify causes.
 Risk assessments/stress audits.
 Training for line managers to manage stress.
 Training aimed at building personal resilience (such as coping techniques, and mindfu
lness).
 Involvement of occupational health specialists.
 Stress management training for the whole workforce.
 Written stress policy/guidance.

Prevention
Organisations should focus their efforts on identifying the main risks of stress to people and i
mplementing measures to reduce or eradicate them.
To help prevent workplace stress:
 Carry out a stress risk assessment, and then allocate resources to reduce or eliminate t
he sources of stress.
 Give people adequate training and support to do their jobs well.
 Increase support for staff during periods of change and uncertainty.
 Train line managers to identify potential causes of stress in their teams and manage pe
ople, and workloads, effectively.
 Increase support for staff during periods of change and uncertainty, particularly impor
tant during the ongoing uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
Early intervention
Spotting and addressing early signs of an issue can prevent it escalating. If employees raise a
n issue and managers are confident and capable of taking action, then early intervention is pre
ferable. 
Managers can start a conversation with their employees in identifying stressors (risks) to help
manage and prevent work-related stress.
Employers should invest in:
 Developing a supportive work culture to encourage staff to discuss and seek support
when experiencing stress.
 Providing, and signposting to, sources of support, for example a counselling service, e
mployee assistance programme and charities.
 Developing the people management skills and confidence of managers so they can ha
ve sensitive conversations with staff.
To create a healthy workplace, an employer needs to ensure that its culture, leadership and pe
ople management are the bedrock on which to build a fully integrated wellbeing approach.
The Key Domains of Wellbeing
There’s no 'one-size-fits-all' approach to designing a health and wellbeing strategy; its conten
t should be based on the unique needs and characteristics of the organisation and its workforc
e.
The underlying elements include examples of workplace initiatives and activities to support p
eople’s health and wellbeing.
1. Health
 Physical health - Health promotion, good rehabilitation practices, health checks, well
being benefits, health insurance protection, managing disability, occupational health s
upport, employee assistance programme.
 Physical safety - Safe working practices, safe equipment, personal safety training.
 Mental health - Stress management, risk assessments, conflict resolution training, tra
ining line managers to have difficult conversations, managing mental ill health, occup
ational health support, employee assistance programme.
2. Good work
 Working environment - Ergonomically designed working areas, open and inclusive
culture.
 Good line management - Effective people management policies, training for line ma
nagers, sickness absence management.
 Work demands - Job design, job roles, job quality, workload, working hours, job sati
sfaction, work-life balance.
 Autonomy - Control, innovation, whistleblowing.
 Change management - Communication, involvement, leadership.
  Pay and reward - Fair and transparent remuneration practices, non-financial recognit
ion.
3. Values/Principles
 Leadership - Values-based leadership, clear mission and objectives, health and wellb
eing strategy, corporate governance, building trust.
 Ethical standards - Dignity at work, corporate social responsibility, community inve
stment, volunteering.
 Inclusion and diversity - Valuing difference, cultural engagement, training for emplo
yees and managers.
4. Collective/Social
 Employee voice - Communication, consultation, genuine dialogue, involvement in de
cision making.
 Positive relationships - Management style, teamworking, healthy relationships with
peers and managers, dignity and respect.
5. Personal growth
 Career development - Mentoring, coaching, performance management, performance
development plans, skills utilisation, succession planning.
 Emotional - Positive relationships, personal resilience training, financial wellbeing.
 Lifelong learning - Performance development plans, access to training, mid-career re
view, technical and vocational learning, challenging work.
 Creativity - Open and collaborative culture, innovation workshops.
6. Good lifestyle choices
 Physical activity - Walking clubs, lunchtime yoga, charity walks.
 Healthy eating - Recipe clubs, healthy menu choices in the canteen.
7. Financial wellbeing
 Fair pay and benefit policies - Pay rates above the statutory National Minimum/Livi
ng Wage, flexible benefits scheme.
 Retirement planning - Phased retirement such as a three- or four-day week, pre-retir
ement courses for people approaching retirement.
 Employee financial support- Employee assistance programme offering debt counsell
ing, signposting to external sources of free advice (for example, Citizens Advice), acc
ess to independent financial advisers.
Reference
www.ilo.org. (2014). Psychosocial risks and work-related stress. [online] Available at: https:
//www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/areasofwork/workplace-health-promot
ion-and-well-being/WCMS_108557/lang--en/index.htm [Accessed 24 Oct. 2022].