TYPES OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Here, We discuss ten types of stress forms found in the workplace.

1. Burnout is when one feels physically and emotionally exhausted from work and also feels that one is not performing in a satisfactory manner. It is usually caused by an overly critical boss or when there is a shortage of adequate resources. Signs of burnout are cynicism, lethargy, irritability, and impatience.
2. Acute stress is a transitory stress that arises as a result of some upsetting situations. Once the stressful situation is over, the stress also vanishes, e.g., before a deadline. Its indicators are muscle tension, stomach upset, and rapid heartbeat.
3. Fear-based stress is caused by an obnoxious or ‘toxic’ boss who makes the work environment very unpleasant and may also add the threat of firing the employee to it. Its symptoms are anxiety or agitation.
4. Overwork situation can be self-caused as in the case of a workaholic or brought about by a demanding boss who gives a whole lot of work to the employee. In either case, it causes immense distress.
5. Job search stress is quite evidently a tough situation involving interviews, rejections, and so on. It can cause panic, anxiety, palpitations, etc., and have a direct impact on the health of the individual.
6. New job stress is something faced by every employee at least once in a lifetime. Being a newcomer in any situation is stressful and a friendly atmosphere goes a long way in making the stress less oppressive.
7. Workplace conflict stress involves bullying, hostility, gossip, or lack of cooperation. These are stressful situations that may be faced by employees in some organizations and need to be addressed both by the affected individual as well as the management.
8. Time stress is a situation when one feels that there is never enough time to get things done. It occurs when there are projects to be finished that have deadlines and tasks have to be completed within an agreed-upon?time. It is the feeling that there is a lack of time to do a proficient job.
9. Anticipatory stress relates to worrying about the future. It may be focused on a specific upcoming event like a presentation or interview for promotion or an inspection. However, it may also be vague and undefined, such as a general sense of anxiety about the future.
10. Encounter stress is experienced when an employee is anxious about interacting with a certain person or a group of persons, such as the CEO of the company or a disagreeable co-worker. It is basically the dread of being in an uncomfortable situation.

Thus, occupational stress can take on a variety of forms and each form needs to be navigated carefully.

How to cite this:

Amiri, M.?(2019). Occupational Stress and Its Management: A Comparative Study of Information Technology (IT) Employees in Pune and Chandigarh [Doctoral dissertation, Panjab University, Chandigarh]. Shodhganga. https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/331677.