Stress
Can "workplace stress" be defined?
We hear a lot about stress, but what is it? Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary defines stress as "the result produced when a structure, system or organism is acted upon by forces that disrupt equilibrium or produce strain". In simpler terms, stress is the result of any emotional, physical, social, economic, or other factors that require a response or change. It is generally believed that some stress is okay (sometimes referred to as "challenge" or "positive stress") but when stress occurs in amounts that you cannot handle, both mental and physical changes may occur.

"Workplace stress" then is the harmful physical and emotional responses that can happen when there is a conflict between job demands on the employee and the amount of control an employee has over meeting these demands. In general, the combination of high demands in a job and a low amount of control over the situation can lead to stress.

Stress in the workplace can have many origins or come from one single event. It can impact on both employees and employers alike. As stated by the Canadian Mental Health Association: Fear of job redundancy, layoffs due to an uncertain economy, increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks act as negative stressors. Employees who start to feel the "pressure to perform" can get caught in a downward spiral of increasing effort to meet rising expectations with no increase in job satisfaction. The relentless requirement to work at optimum performance takes its toll in job dissatisfaction, employee turnover, reduced efficiency, illness and even death. Absenteeism, illness, alcoholism, "petty internal politics", bad or snap decisions, indifference and apathy, lack of motivation or creativity are all by-products of an over stressed workplace.

(From: Canadian Mental Health Association, "Sources of Workplace Stress " Richmond, British Columbia)
Internet Research Sources
Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety
Canadian Health Network
Ontario Safety Association

Instructions:
Click on the  Stress Lecture Notes link and Copy and Paste this page into Corel Word Perfect.
Click on the Stress Presentation link and use this information to complete the Stress Lecture Notes page.
Once you have completed the Stress Lecture Notes page Save this information and use it to complete the Stress Assignment. Click on the Stress Assignment link and Copy and Paste this page into Corel Word Perfect. Save this information and submit a hard copy of the Stress Assignment to your teacher.