Employee Stress - Let's fight it out!

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Authors: Subhadra. K, Niharika Atchyutuni
Faculty Associate, Faculty Associate
ICMR (IBS Center for Management Research).

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Workplace Stress

United States National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has defined workplace stress as "the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury."

It simply means that workplace stress generally arises when there is a mismatch between the nature or magnitude of the job to be done and the employee desires and capabilities. Further, the definition also categorizes workplace stress into physical stress and psychological or emotional stress.

Employee stress can be managed more effectively if identified and tackled at an early stage. It has been observed that when an individual experiences stress, there would be visible changes in his physical health and also in his emotional behavior. Some of the common signs of stress are listed below:

* Increased irritation
* Depression
* Loss of interest in the job/ feeling of boredom in the job
* Frequent fights with the colleagues
* Withdrawal from social life
* Increased number of mistakes in any work done
* Frequent headaches
* Disturbed sleeping and eating patterns
* Aggravated health disorders such as - Asthma, ulcers, skin allergies and cardiac problems.

When these signs are noticed in an individual, the individual is most probably a victim of stress. In order to combat employee stress, it is very important to know the reasons behind employee stress. It is only when there is evidence of specific stressors that one can think of eliminating them.

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