FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#16 - Flipbook - Page 27
BY CONVERGE
Workplace stress is something many of us have
faced. It is the physical and emotional response
to signi昀椀cant stress faced in your working
environment. This could be due to pressures,
workloads, poor or absent communication,
reduced autonomy and job control,
interpersonal con昀氀ict and job insecurity.
These compounding factors can impact on an
individual’s ability to cope in their job.
Statistically, the numbers
are telling a rather stark
story. According to
the Queensland Human
Rights Commission, one
in 昀椀ve Aussies has taken
an absence from work
due to stress, anxiety
and/or depression.
That equates to 21% of
the working Australian
population. With the
same research 昀椀nding
that 9 in 10 Australians
believe that mentally
healthy working
environments are
important, organisations
are increasingly
recognising the
importance of addressing
workplace stress.
What is
Workplace Stress?
Workplace stress is the
physical and emotional
response to job
demands that exceed a
person’s ability to cope.
It is commonly caused
by high workloads,
poor communication,
limited control, and job
insecurity, and
can impact mental
health, performance,
and wellbeing.
Understanding
Workplace Stress and
Its Causes
communication, and
organisational culture
and/or changes.
Workplace stress can
stem from a number
of factors. According
to a Gallup survey,
Australia is tied with New
Zealand as the second
most stressed country
on Earth, reporting
stress levels of 40%. But
ultimately, we can de昀椀ne
workplace stress as a
response to:
All of these factors
• Excessive job demands.
employee’s mental
• Long working hours.
health. Such hazards
• Limited autonomy
and control.
can be detrimental
• Poor support
from leadership.
performance. As
There are other
challenges – such
as role clarity, poor
different causes of
can potentially
impact an individual
physically, mentally
and emotionally. We
often see employees
presenting with issues
relating to psychosocial
risks – hazards
that can impact an
to an organisation’s
such, let’s explore the
workplace stress.
