EnglishHazard: Work-related stress
Work-related stress is defined as a harmful reaction people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work.
Stress, depression and anxiety is the second most common cause of work-related illnesses and is most often reported by those who work in education, health and social care, public administration and defence.
A certain amount of stress may help us to perform tasks to the best of our abilities, but excessive stress for long periods creates the production of hormones that have physical effects on the body – causing tiredness, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, headaches, raised blood pressure, indigestion, muscle tension and increased heart rate.
Signs of stress include feeling:
- sad
- anxious
- tired
- irritable
- distracted
- confused
- unsure
- demotivated
Control: Work-related stress
Employers can help to reduce stress levels by considering the causes, such as
- too much work to do and too little time to do it in
- not being clear about what you should be doing
- not being able to do the job/not being trained to do the job
- poor working conditions (for example, cramped or noisy)
- negative working environments – bullying and harassment
. . . and take appropriate action.