In today’s fast-paced world, stress is everywhere.

In small doses, stress can be beneficial, but too much and you significantly increase your risk of mental health conditions, autoimmune disease, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease.

So, what exactly is stress?

It's the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressures. It’s individual, it’s personal, and statistically speaking, 2 in 5 of us will experience a mental health condition at some point in our lives. (1)

In the case of work-related stress, we refer to the stress that specifically comes from our jobs.

Excessive work-related stress is hazardous, and will impair wellbeing and risk your safety.

It also impacts organisational performance. Despite many well-meaning company cultures rewarding output and focussing on star performers, without adequately facilitating downtime (including ceasing work output outside of work hours), both personal and organisational productivity will significantly diminish.

It's crucial for both employers and employees to understand the various sources of workplace stress to effectively manage and mitigate its effects.

Below are 10 common sources of work-related stress and what you can do to reduce their impact.

1. Excessive Workloads. Consistently heavy workloads can lead to stress as employees struggle to meet unrealistic expectations or deadlines, often leading to long working hours and burnout. Solution: Implement project management tools and techniques to better manage tasks. Encourage delegation and prioritise tasks to allow employees to control and manage their workloads more effectively.

2. Poor Management Styles. No one wants to work for a d*ck. Ineffective communication, lack of support, and unpredictable decision-making by management can create stressful working environments for employees. Solution: Support and provide training for managers, focussing on communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution. Regular feedback sessions between employees and managers can also help improve management practices.

3. Unclear Job Expectations. Stress arises when employees are unclear about their duties, the scope of their responsibilities, or how their performance is evaluated. Solution: Ensure that job roles are clearly defined and communicated. Regularly review and update job descriptions, and provide clear and consistent performance evaluations.

4. Dysfunctional Workplace Dynamics. Bullying, harassment and interpersonal conflicts with colleagues or supervisors, are all big no-no’s and cause significant workplace harm and stress. Solution: Promote a positive workplace culture by establishing clear policies against bullying and harassment. Facilitate team-building activities (inside work hours) to improve relationships and trust amongst colleagues.

5. Job Insecurity. Fear of losing your job, or lack of career development opportunities, can lead to chronic stress, affecting both morale and productivity. Solution: Improve communication about how the company is performing and provide pathways for future job opportunities. Offer career development to help employees see a clear future within the company. 

6. Work-Life Imbalance. Stress escalates when work demands interfere with personal lives, leading to difficulties in fulfilling family or personal responsibilities. Solution: Encourage flexible working arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours, to help employees manage their personal responsibilities alongside their work commitments, and stop expecting employees to text, call or answer emails after hours! Working outside of paid work hours is the biggest scam. Need employees after hours in an emergency? Then give time off in leu of any additional hours worked and review work processes and practices to determine why the emergency occurred in the first place.

7. Lack of Autonomy. The absence of control over work activities or decision-making causes stress, particularly if employees feel they have no say in how they work. Solution: Empower employees by involving them in decision-making processes and give them more control over how they complete their tasks. Set clear goals but give employees the freedom to achieve them in their own way. 

8. Challenging Work Roles. Being placed in roles that are either too challenging or not challenging enough is a major source of stress. Employees may feel overwhelmed or underutilised in each scenario. Solution: Ensure employees are appropriately matched to their roles based on their skills and interests. Offer training and professional development to help them cope with challenges positively and effectively.

9. Inadequate Work Environment. Poor physical working conditions, such as noise, lack of space, inadequate facilities, or uncomfortable temperature can increase stress. Solution: Invest in improving the physical workspace, ensuring it's comfortable, ergonomically sound, and conducive to productivity. Regular assessments of the work environment can help identify areas for improvement.

10. Lack of Support: Lack of resources or emotional support from colleagues and management can leave employees feeling isolated and stressed. Solution: Create support systems within the workplace, such as mentorship programs, peer support groups, or professional counselling services. Managers should regularly check in with employees to offer support and address any concerns. Provide team building initiatives within work hours to foster relationships and morale.

Understanding causes of work-related stress is the first step toward fostering a more supportive and productive workplace. Organisations that actively address work-related stressors not only enhance well-being but also boost overall performance. Employers should encourage open communication, offer adequate support, and ensure that workloads and job expectations are reasonable. By doing so, they not only mitigate stress but also build a resilient workforce ready to face the challenges of the modern workplace.

References

(1) Australian Bureau of Statistics National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020-2022)