Post on 27-Mar-2015
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Employee perceptions of the management of workplace stress
Nicholas BuysGriffith University
Lynda MatthewsUniversity of Sydney
Christine RandallGriffith University
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Impact of Workplace Stress
• US: Cost $300 billion per year absenteeism, reduced productivity and turnover
• UK: Costs economy 10% of GDP
• Australia: Direct costs to employers of over $15 billion
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Level of Intervention
• Sources of workplace stress include: • excessive work hours • unreasonable performance demands • health and safety risks • lack of autonomy• poor communication, role ambiguity• job insecurity• workplace conflict• bullying and harassment
• Interventions therefore required at organisational level as well as with individual
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Workplace Stress and DM
Considerable evidence to support a DM approach that addresses sources of workplace stress
Minimal research into application of DM to the management of work-related stress
Lack of research into employees’ perceptions of the extent to which their employers implement effective disability management
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Purpose of Study
To explore how employees perceive their organizations’ efforts to address the management of stress in their workplaces
To examine differences in the management of workplace stress based on organizational location and size
To explore relationships between the incidence of stress, management of stress, and the number and likelihood of compensation claims
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Method
Management of Workplace Stress Questionnaire
Purpose: Ratings of how organization addresses prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of workplace stress
Section 1: Demographic variables» Location of organisation ie country» Organisational type eg manufacturing, retail» Organisational size ie number of employees» Respondent’s role in the organisation
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Method
Management of Workplace Stress Questionnaire
Section 2: 30 statements and 3 open-ended questions
Example items“My organization has a safety program to address workplace
stress”
“In my organization workplace accommodations are made to help workers with stress condition to RTW”
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Method
Management of Workplace Stress Questionnaire
Open-ended questions
How does your organization informs employees about its workplace stress management policy?
What areas of work in your organization have been identified as having risks?
What services are provided by your organization to manage workplace stress?
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Demographics
Roles
Owner/manager (27%),
Disability manager (17%)
Academic/researcher (11%),
Claims manager (6%)
Human resource manager (3%),
Other (36%)
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Demographics
Region
Europe (63%)
North America (24%),
Oceania (11%),
Asia (1%)
Africa (1%)
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Demographics
Business Type
Health and community services (23%)
Government agency (21%)
Finance, insurance, property (13%)
Education (12%)
Manufacturing (6%)
Transport (4%)
Retail trade (2%)
Other (19%).
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Results
Three sub-scales identified in Questionnaire :
1.Prevention
2.Rehabilitation
3.Workplace Environment
Scales had high level of internal consistency
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Results
Respondents not overly positive about their organisations’ management of workplace stress
Mean scores on individual survey items ranged from 3.06 to 4.85 (3 = Somewhat disagree, 4 = Somewhat agree, 5 = Agree)
On 67% of items the mean response was less than 4
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Results: Prevention sub-scale items
Main areas of concern Stress prevention training Collection and analysis of data to inform prevention
efforts Assessing risk relating to stress Provision of safety programs to address workplace
stress
One area perceived to be adequate Process to minimize physical risks in the workplace
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Results: Rehabilitation sub-scale items
Rated more positively than prevention Provision of workplace accommodations Monitoring and follow up of workers
Main area of concern Training of supervisors to assist workers with a stress
injury to return to work
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Results: Workplace Environment sub-scale items
Areas rated most positively Level of job satisfaction in the organization Level of trust between management and employees
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Results: Demographic variables
No differences based on regional or organizational location
Significant differences based on organizational size and workplace environment
Smaller organizations (<100 employees) rated significantly higher than medium or large organizations on:
» Job satisfaction» Levels of trust between management and employees» Joint resolution on ways to manage stress» Organizational commitment to deal with issues causing
stress
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Results
Higher levels of reported stress in organizations were associated with lower ratings of workplace environments
Lower levels of compensation claims were associated with higher ratings of prevention & higher workplace environment ratings
A higher likelihood of making a claim was negatively associated with higher ratings of the workplace environment
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Results: Qualitative data
Communication of workplace stress management policy Email, intranet, on-line bulletins, Information sessions, induction training, staff training,
staff meetings Operations manuals, posters, company newspapers,
information brochures Personal contact, telephone helplines Health & safety policies
15/48 responses (31%) ⇒ no formal communication of policy
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Results: Qualitative data
Areas of work identified as having risks Various occupational roles High workload, time pressure, production deadlines,
Lack of resources, lack of supervision, lack of control, constant change, unrealistic performance expectations
Exposure to physical risks Adversarial management style, conflict with colleagues Client expectations, aggressive clients Poor work-life balance, shift work, long hours
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Results: Qualitative data
Services to help workers manage workplace stress
Work arrangements Flexible working conditions Mandated working hours Provision of mentors Job sharing Workplace and job accommodations Opportunities to attend seminars & conferences
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Results: Qualitative data
Services to help workers manage workplace stress
Counselling, family support services, employee assistance
programs Occupational health services Workplace health promotion, wellness information, relaxation
programs On-line help services, and workplace stress analyses Gym facilities doctor consultations Support groups Manager training, personal coaching
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Conclusions
Employees are under-whelmed by the efforts of their employers to address the management of workplace stress, particularly in the area of prevention
Importance of a positive workplace culture
A systems approach is required to address the range of individual, organizational and environmental issues that impact management of workplace stress
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Limitations & Further Research
Nature and size of survey sample
Validity of questionnaire not fully established
Further research needed using larger populations to examine influence of number of independent variables