Stress
Stress
Click here for more information on reducing stress in the workplace.
Stress
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines work-related stress as ’the reaction people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that … challenge their ability to cope.’ Workplace stress is common across industries and is also an important issue for the AOD sector.
Working in a drug and alcohol services can be stressful for a range of reasons and can impact on workers in a number of ways, including:
• Mental health - such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety;
• Physical health - such as musculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular disease;
• Work performance - such as incidents and injuries; and
• Social relationships - such as increased irritability leading to social isolation, anxiety and depression.
Those employed in the AOD sector often work with extremely disadvantaged members of the community. These individuals have complex needs and working with them requires high levels of skill and commitment. Factors such as; inadequate funding coupled with increasing demands on services, dual diagnosis and working with clients with complex needs, can all contribute to an increased risk of workplace stress.
Other factors present within the AOD sector that can contribute to stress are:
• limited careers paths that don’t adequately recognise increased qualifications with increased professional status and remuneration;
• short-term funding contracts that don’t give workers a sense of longevity within the sector; and
• limited opportunities for professional development.
The WHO advises that ‘stress occurs in a wide range of work circumstances but is often made worse when employees feel they have little support from supervisors and colleagues and where they have little control over work or how they can cope with its demands and pressures.’ Given the complexity and intensity of the work they undertake, many organisations in the AOD sector lack the funding to provide adequate supervision that isn’t reliant on line managers. This is an important issue to consider when addressing issues of work-related stress.
How to manage stress?
Effective work-related stress prevention can be achieved through the following key elements:
• Commitment by management through the creation of a policy and/or letter of commitment to the prevention of work-related stress. This sends a powerful message to employees that their health and safety is a priority;
• Raising awareness and understanding of work-related stress that includes prevention, building trust and participation, clarifying expectations and desired outcomes, and providing feedback about progress;
• Consultation and issue resolution on both processes and systems;
• Identifying ‘at risk’ workgroups which should be done across an organisation where work-related stress hazards and risks are likely or do cause harm;
• Support work-related stress prevention strategies and initiate them across an organisation, such as:
- Gathering information from sources such as workplace surveys to determine actions to address work-related stress hazards and risks across the organisation;
- Examine workplace data to help determine workgroups where work-related stress has the potential to cause harm (such as high levels of sick leave);
- Provide managers/supervisors with knowledge and skills in stress prevention;
- Support ‘at risk’ workgroups.
Working in a drug and alcohol services can be stressful for a range of reasons and can impact on workers in a number of ways, including:
• Mental health - such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety;
• Physical health - such as musculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular disease;
• Work performance - such as incidents and injuries; and
• Social relationships - such as increased irritability leading to social isolation, anxiety and depression.
Those employed in the AOD sector often work with extremely disadvantaged members of the community. These individuals have complex needs and working with them requires high levels of skill and commitment. Factors such as; inadequate funding coupled with increasing demands on services, dual diagnosis and working with clients with complex needs, can all contribute to an increased risk of workplace stress.
Other factors present within the AOD sector that can contribute to stress are:
• limited careers paths that don’t adequately recognise increased qualifications with increased professional status and remuneration;
• short-term funding contracts that don’t give workers a sense of longevity within the sector; and
• limited opportunities for professional development.
The WHO advises that ‘stress occurs in a wide range of work circumstances but is often made worse when employees feel they have little support from supervisors and colleagues and where they have little control over work or how they can cope with its demands and pressures.’ Given the complexity and intensity of the work they undertake, many organisations in the AOD sector lack the funding to provide adequate supervision that isn’t reliant on line managers. This is an important issue to consider when addressing issues of work-related stress.
How to manage stress?
Effective work-related stress prevention can be achieved through the following key elements:
• Commitment by management through the creation of a policy and/or letter of commitment to the prevention of work-related stress. This sends a powerful message to employees that their health and safety is a priority;
• Raising awareness and understanding of work-related stress that includes prevention, building trust and participation, clarifying expectations and desired outcomes, and providing feedback about progress;
• Consultation and issue resolution on both processes and systems;
• Identifying ‘at risk’ workgroups which should be done across an organisation where work-related stress hazards and risks are likely or do cause harm;
• Support work-related stress prevention strategies and initiate them across an organisation, such as:
- Gathering information from sources such as workplace surveys to determine actions to address work-related stress hazards and risks across the organisation;
- Examine workplace data to help determine workgroups where work-related stress has the potential to cause harm (such as high levels of sick leave);
- Provide managers/supervisors with knowledge and skills in stress prevention;
- Support ‘at risk’ workgroups.
Click here for more information on reducing stress in the workplace.
