Stress

Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them. Whilst pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated, it is excessive pressure that can lead to stress. Stress undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill.

The primary sources of stress at work include:
* High demands – workload, work patterns and the work environment.
* Lack of control – how much say the person has in the way they do their work.
* Lack of support – encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues.
* Poor relationships – conflict and how unacceptable behaviour is dealt with.
* Poorly defined roles – how people understand their role whether there are conflicting roles.
* Poorly managed change – how organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the organisation.

Organisations should have systems in place to manage stress. This should include a policy, organisation and arrangements to identify potential stress (through risk assessment), actual stress (sickness rates) and deal with it. Also, proactive monitoring stress, often through the use of staff surveys.

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