Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 19
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.
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
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:
What is Workplace Stress?
• Excessive job demands.
Workplace stress is the
physical and emotional
response to job demands
that exceed a person’s
ability to cope. It is
• Long working hours.
• Limited autonomy
and control.
• Poor support
from leadership.
There are other challenges
– such as role clarity,
poor communication, and
organisational culture and/
or changes. All of these
factors 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 employee’s mental
health. Such hazards
can be detrimental
to an organisation’s
performance. As such,
let’s explore the different
causes of workplace stress.
