Workplace Stress & Conflict Unit 3: Management Challenges

Stress & Workplace Stress  Stress - is the mental and physical state that results when perceived demands exceed an individual's ability to cope with them  Workplace stress - is the harmful physical and emotional responses that can happen when there is a conflict between job demands on the employee and the amount of control an employee has over meeting these demands  In general, the combination of high demands in a job and a low amount of control over the situation can lead to stress.

Sources of Workplace Stress 1. A lack of time or an excessive workload 2. Working too much 3. Fear of accident or injury 4. Poor interpersonal relationships with co- workers or supervisors 5. The threat of layoff or job loss 6. Stress from an individual’s personal life can also spill over into the workplace and affect what happens in the workplace

Constructive Stress  Stress may not always be a bad thing  In moderation, stress can act in a positive way by energizing and enhancing an employee’s performance  Constructive stress - is just enough stress to encourage increased effort, while not overwhelming the employee  Some people thrive on the “pressure” of a looming deadline, it seems to motivate them to work harder

Signs that someone is having difficulty coping with stress:  Physical Signs - headaches, grinding teeth, clenched jaws, chest pain, shortness of breath, pounding heart, high blood pressure, muscle aches, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, increased perspiration, fatigue, insomnia, and frequent illness  Psychosocial Signs - anxiety, irritability, sadness, defensiveness, anger, mood swings, hypersensitivity, apathy, depression  Behavioural Signs - overeating or loss of appetite, impatience, quickness to argue, procrastination, increased use of alcohol or drugs, increased smoking, withdrawal or isolation from others, neglect of responsibility, poor job performance

Why should Managers be aware of stress?

Activity  Use a Canadian online News Website to find a recent article (published within the past 12 months) about Workplace Stress  Write a 1 page summary of this article and what you can learn from the findings within it