1. Fat-Fighting Foods Slideshow
2. Take the Human Body Quiz
3. Causes of Fatigue Slideshow Pictures

In this Article

• What is job stress?
• What are the causes of job stress?
• Job stress and health
• Job stress, health, and productivity
• What can be done about job stress?
• How to change the organization to prevent job stress
• Preventing job stress: Getting started
• Steps toward prevention
• Health and the Workplace Index

Some employers assume that stressful working conditions are a necessary evil-that companies must turn up the pressure on workers and set aside health concerns to remain productive and profitable in today's economy. But research findings challenge this belief. Studies show that stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and intentions by workers to quit their jobs-all of which have a negative effect on the bottom line.

Recent studies of so-called healthy organizations suggest that policies benefiting worker health also benefit the bottom line. A healthy organization is defined as one that has low rates of illness, injury, and disability in its workforce and is also competitive in the marketplace. NIOSH research has identified organizational characteristics associated with both healthy, low-stress work and high levels of productivity. Examples of these characteristics include the following:

• Recognition of employees for good work performance
  
  
• Opportunities for career development
  
  
• An organizational culture that values the individual worker
  
  
• Management actions that are consistent with organizational values

As a general rule, actions to reduce job stress should give top priority to organizational change to improve working conditions. But even the most conscientious efforts to improve working conditions are unlikely to eliminate stress completely for all workers. For this reason, a combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work.

• Ensure that the workload is in line with workers' capabilities and resources.
  
  
• Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their skills.
  
  
• Clearly define workers' roles and responsibilities.
  
  
• Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs.
  
  
• Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects.
  
  
• Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers.
  
  
• Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job.