There are different and conflicting ideas about stress. Some say its good for you, others say its bad. The Health and Safety Executive defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them’. What is ‘excessive pressure’ and what is the ‘adverse reaction’?

Some conflicting generalisations we’ve heard include:-

• Stress is nothing more than a buzzword that difficult people use to take a day off, or to get out of doing the jobs they don’t like;
• All stress is bad for you;
• All stress is good for you;
• There is good stress and bad stress;
• “Tough” people don’t get stressed, but “weak” people do;
• People who get stressed at work aren’t cut out to work efficiently;
• Stress is an adverse reaction to normal pressures...

Know the poison; find the antidote.

It’s little wonder that many people find it difficult to know where to start. If you don’t believe stress is a risk, you will never attempt to manage it. If you’re willing to try, but you can’t put your finger on what it is and what it looks like, it will be very difficult. However, disbelief or inability to understand the risk does not excuse employers from their duty to successfully manage it.

Work Related Stress - the basics

Stress is not complicated; you don’t need a psychology degree to understand it. Stress is an inherent feature of a sentient creature’s natural response to threats, enabling it to fight or escape them. Being under threat stimulates anger and/or fear, emotions which trigger processes that prepare the mind and body to confront or avert the danger. When the danger has passed or been fought off or escaped from, levels of anger and fear can naturally subside, which in turn permits mental and physical functions to return to normal. In appropriate circumstances and in short bursts and in moderation, these emotions help us to survive.

The same emotional responses happen where there is no threat to physical integrity, stimulating the same ‘fight or flight’ response. If these emotions are not resolved by logical process, a person can remain in same “alerted” state for a long time. An example of how this might arise in an an employment situation is where a person feels under imminent threat of losing his reputation and income for a reason that does not make sense to him.

Where the threat is perceived to be very serious, or where it is prolonged, the constant anger and/or fear can lead to psychological and physical dysfunction, which in turn is the reason one in every forty working people in the UK is off work as you read this, and another one in forty is on the verge of absence.

Effects of Stress

Effects on a person

The earliest visible effects are poor emotional health, which can be seen as changes to behaviour patterns, avoidance of certain situations, short temper or irritability, defensiveness, escapism, withdrawal etc. (Does this describe anyone you work with?)

Physical changes can include a variety of minor unexplained ailments possibly because of reduced immunity; back pain, headaches, sleep disturbance, gastro-intestinal and cardiovascular problems and more;

Prolonged and especially intense stress can create a general breakdown in mental health, which in turn can result in loss or, at best, serious disruption of career, social and family life. In serious cases it can lead to suicide.

Effects on an organisation

Disturbed thought and behaviour patterns means distraction from core duties, both of the stressed persons and those under their influence (who themselves become stressed as a result).

• Individuals’ output declines - jobs aren’t done as well as they could be, or at all;
• Morale, quality, reputation and sales suffer;
• Absence increases, along with interpersonal dysfunction: instances of disciplinary, grievance and legal actions increase along with staff turnover;
• Change initiatives may abound but the investment is wasted because any beneficial effects are superficial - If they don’t address the cause of stress, they will likely be a cause of stress. Any benefits are short lived.
• Organisations spiral into decline.

What makes a worker angry or fearful?

• All of the above, especially for those who can put their finger on the cause of and even a cure for the problem but where they feel unable to speak out; and
• Excessive demands, lack of control over their work, lack of support, poor relationships, poorly defined roles and being ill-equipped to cope with change;

The most influential factor is Relationships. Especially where a superior has a poor relationship with a subordinate, the latter can simultaneously experience problems with demands, control, support, role and change. A subordinate can give his boss a hard time, but is less likely to be able to influence so many areas of the superior’s job. Generally speaking, the risk of stress from relationships is higher for a subordinate than a superior.On the other hand, good relationships facilitate discussion and improvement of the relationship itself as well as the other risk factors.

Problem relationships are a fact of life, and in a team, they can be a recipe for disaster. Teams need cohesion, which can only come from mutual trust. The quality of relationships is a product of each individual’s attitudes and behaviour, most especially of those occupying positions of leadership.

Where people don’t think about their behaviour, they don’t think about its effect, and so they don’t feel responsible for the problems their behaviour can create. This attitude is one of the key foundations of a “blame culture” where problems are attributed of a scapegoat, rather having their root causes analysed and addressed.

Healthy alternative

When people are conscious of how others perceive them, and how to respond assertively to others, relationships can improve. With improved relationships comes decreased stress levels, and a virtuous spiral of improvement.

Improving relationships has knock-on effects throughout the business, including:

• Less time wasted on petty disputes, back-biting and firefighting;
• Improved morale, commitment and loyalty of staff;
• Less sickness absence;
• Lower staff turnover;
• Fewer or no grievance and disciplinary processes;
• Fewer or no tribunal claims.

These directly affect your operational and financial activities, delivering:

• Improvements in Quality, Cost and Delivery;
• Improved reputation;
• Improved commitment and loyalty of shareholders and stake holders;
• Improved bottom line!

What Next?

This site’s sponsor Humane Resources Ltd welcomes contact from employers wanting their organisation to benefit from practical measures to prevent and control work related stress from poor relationships. This site MyGrievance.co.uk is for individuals whose relationships at work are making or keeping them ill, so if that’s you, feel free to browse.

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