Occupational stress
The results showed that exposure to long working hours, operates through increased psycho-social occupational stress.
[10] The DC model advances the idea that the combination of low levels of work-related decision latitude (i.e., autonomy and control over the job) and high psychological workloads is harmful to the health of workers.
[13] The effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model focuses on the relationship between the worker's efforts and the work-related rewards the employee receives.
The ERI model suggests that work marked by high levels of effort and low rewards leads to strain (e.g., psychological symptoms, physical health problems).
For healthy working conditions, it is necessary that employees' attitudes, skills, abilities, and resources match the demands of their job.
The theory holds that positive or negative job characteristics give rise to a number of cognitive and behavioral outcomes such as extent of worker motivation, satisfaction, and absenteeism.
The model suggests that the individual's diathesis is part of the context in which he or she encounters job stressors at various levels of intensity.
[18][19] If the individual has a very high tolerance (is relatively invulnerable), an intense stressor may not lead to a mental or physical problem.
However, if the stressor (e.g., high workload, difficult coworker relationship) outstrips the individual's diathesis, then health problems may ensue.
[32] Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
[36] Occupational stress can lead to three types of strains: behavioral (e.g., absenteeism), physical (e.g., headaches), and psychological (e.g., depressed mood).
[20][39] Chronically high levels of job stress diminish a worker's quality of life and increase the cost of the health benefits the employer provides.
A study of short haul truckers found that high levels of job stress were related to increased risk of occupational injury.
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.
The broad category of occupational stressors include some of the following: bad management practices, the job content and its demands, a lack of support or autonomy and much more.
The more specific causes of occupational stress includes some of the following: working long hours, having insufficient skills for the job, discrimination and harassment and much more.
The types of jobs that pay workers higher salaries tend to provide them with greater job-related autonomy.
[67] Thomas suggests that there tends to be a higher level of stress with people who work or interact with a narcissist, which in turn increases absenteeism and staff turnover.
Conflict has also been linked to strains such as anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and low levels of job satisfaction.
[39] Generally, organizational level strategies include job procedure modification and employee assistance programs (EAP).
[78] A systematic review of stress-reduction techniques among healthcare workers found that cognitive behavioral training lowered emotional exhaustion and feelings of lack of personal accomplishment.
The intervention led to improved home life, better sleep quality, and better safety compliance, mainly for the lowest paid employees.
These include the following: An insurance company conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings.
One study modeled scenario-based training as a means to reduce occupational stress by providing simulated experience prior to performing a task.
[5][94] An estimated 440,000 people in the UK say they experience work-related stress, resulting in nearly 9.9 million lost work days from 2014 to 2015.
[98] Other methods used by the HSE to reduce occupational stress in the UK include "maintaining and enhancing the enforcement profile on work-related ill health to highlight the consequences of failure, and to hold those responsible to account".
[103] The high prevalence of severe occupational stress among workers in Japan leads to hundreds of thousands in human capital loss per employee throughout their careers.
Concerns regarding occupational stress in Japan have grown over the years, due to societal factors such as long working hours.
[106] In South Africa, over 40% of all work-related illness is caused by occupational stress, resulting in billions of rands in lost production annually.
[107] While occupational stress is rising globally, Sub-Saharan African countries have been among the worst affected regions in the world.
