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What Are the Causes of Work Place Stress?

It's no secret that employees in today's workforce are constantly under stress. Workplace stress isn't likely to disappear any time soon, however, and hinders employee morale and performance. Before your company implements a stress management program, first identify the causes of the stress in your workplace so that you can take steps to foster a productive work environment.

  1. Workload

    • Workload issues can work two ways: either too much or too little, according to an article on the Business Link website. Too much work, especially with impossible-to-meet deadlines, makes people feel hurried, defeated and inundated. Too little work leaves employees feeling unchallenged.

    Working Relationships

    • Lack of support from other co-workers on projects that should be workgroup efforts, or blaming one another when a fellow co-worker makes a mistake that others have to fix, can cause stress. The promotion of a peer to a supervisor can also cause stress because it changes how employees work together, says the Business Link article.

    Poor Management

    • Both a lack of management and micromanagement cause stress in the workplace, says the Business Link article. Managers who don't manage their employees fail to provide a sense of direction for their companies or work groups. Micromanagers, on the other hand, make employees feel they can't do anything right and that someone is constantly watching their every move.

    Work Environment

    • Office thermostats set too high or low can cause stress, along with loud music or conversation, poor lighting, uncomfortable chairs and equipment that constantly breaks, says the Business Link article. Getting a new job also causes stress because you have to adjust to a new office, new staff, new boss and new procedures for accomplishing goals, according to an article on the Hostile Work Environment Guide website.

    Economy

    • During challenging economic times, layoffs and budget cuts become standard operating procedures, according to an article on the Help Guide website. As a result, fear and insecurity escalate with each cutback, which negatively affects job performance and relationships with other workers.

    Harassment

    • Sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying forces workers to live in a threatening work environment daily, says the Hostile Work Environment Guide site. Such situations affect an employee's ability to succeed in her job and advance to higher-paying positions.

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