Worksite Stress
Don't let the job get you down ...
work stress can lead to depression. Photo: Andrew Quilty
- Workplace stress is becoming an increasing concern in many Canadian workplaces. It is defined as the harmful physical and emotional response that can happen when there is a conflict between demands on a person and the amount of control the person has over meeting these demands. Read more from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety Updated September 2008. Go to: www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/stress.html
- Work stress and job performance - A recent Statistics Canada study indicates that work-related stress has a direct bearing on the current and long-term productivity of Canadian workers in terms of reduced work activities, disability days and absenteeism. The study suggests that high-strain and passive jobs carry many work-stress consequences such as a risk of psychological strain and physical illness. On the other hand, low-strain and active jobs tend to lead to growth, learning, and higher productivity. In other words, the more job control and psychological demand the worker has, the better the situation for the worker. So work stress can be both good and bad. Read more of this article by Christina Catenacci LL.B., Assistant Editor and Yosie Saint-Cyr Managing Editor for HRinfodesk - Canadian Payroll and Employment Law News, February 2008. Go to: www.hrinfodesk.com/preview.asp
- Taking Control: Setting Healthy Boundaries at Work - With so many competing pressures and responsibilities, it’s not surprising that managers and supervisors are at high risk for burnout. Burnout is a state of physical, mental or emotional exhaustion caused by long-term exposure to stress. Read more in this article from February 2010. Shepell.fgi
- Mental Health at Work - The Chair in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Management at Université Laval set out to raise awareness of mental health issues related to work and present it in terms that are simple and accessible to everyone. This was done by creating this series of booklets From defining to Solving the Problem, this series is the result of research carried out on the prevention of work-related mental health problems (Brun, J.P. et al. 2002), and is intended for everyone who wants to understand the issue and to become better equipped to prevent it. This series comes in the form of a kit made up of three booklets on the scope (Booklet1), causes (Booklet 2), and prevention (Booklet 3) of the problem. You can print or download any of these booklets at: Mental Health at Work
- Burnout Self-Test - Burnout occurs when passionate, committed people become deeply disillusioned with a job or career from which they have previously derived much of their identity and meaning. It comes as the things that inspire passion and enthusiasm are stripped away, and tedious or unpleasant things crowd in. This tool can help you check yourself for burnout. Take the self test at: Mind Tools, 1995-2008
- Stress Diary - Stress Diaries are important for understanding the causes of short-term stress in your life. They also give you an important insight into how you react to stress, and help you to identify the level of stress at which you prefer to operate. The idea behind Stress Diaries is that, on a regular basis, you record information about the stresses you are experiencing, so that you can analyse these stresses and then manage them. Read more and look at an example at: Mind Tools, 1995-2008
Previous page: Member Health and Safety
Next page: Workplace Harassment and Bullying