STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Workplace stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the employee. Workplace stress results from the interaction of the staff member and the conditions of work. Views differ, however, on the importance of the individual characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job stress. Differences in such individual characteristics as personality and coping style are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress.  In other words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else. Other factors to consider in workplace stress include the design of tasks, work roles, job insecurity or such difficult environmental conditions as noisy or dangerous working conditions.