3.2 Job Demands although personal vulnerabilities are recognized as an important predictor in the work stress process79, it is also important to note that workers each bring different skills to the workplace as well as a range of vulnerabilities and strengths. The elimination of vulnerabilities from the workplace is not possible, nor did desirable, as the success of a workplace often depends on the diversity of personalities from which it is construct. With the changing nature of the workforce and the inclusion of inherently vulnerable individuals in that workforce (e.g., those with pre-existing psychiatric illnesses or disabilities, and those without adequate social support or financial resources), employers cannot avoid vulnerability. The inclusion of these individuals in the workforce is hinged on the notion of …show more content…
In contrast to performance pressure, underutilization of skills has become a significant problem in recent years. It is well recognized that pressure results from the degree to which the environment inhibits or promotes utilization and development of skills and abilities. Under-utilization of a worker’s skill-base usually occurs when the worker is performing tasks that are often simple in nature and offer little challenge. The primary cause of underutilization is the fact that many people are over-qualified for the positions that are available. However, underutilization can also result from a worker being prevented from undertaking training to acquire new skills. This barrier results in an inability to progress to more complex tasks129. Under-utilization of work skills and low skill variety are found to be detrimental to the health and well-being of the worker130. Unclear Work Roles High levels of occupational stress are likely to be evident in organizations where there are elevated levels of role ambiguity and role
Shuttleworth, A., (2004). Managing workplace stress: how training can help. Industrial and Commercial Training, 36 (2), 61 – 65.
There is a need to adjust to a workforce that is increasingly diverse. Diversity is not only determined by traditional categories such as age, race, and gender. Diversity also includes generational differences, lifestyle, work style values and differences, employment expectations and goals, learning styles and abilities, educational levels and technological sense. In order to build a successful workforce for the future, adaptations to the vast array of differences in applicants and employees is a challenge to be recognized and addressed in the workforce action plan. With efficient occupational health services and smart occupational health personnel this can be achieved. Competitive industries invest more on workforce as they are well aware of its implications. This proactive approach of organizations impact both direct and indirect cost to industry. This clearly indicates that healthy organizations are more likely to be successful as they are more skilled of retaining workforce who is healthy in all aspects including physical, mental and psychological capabilities. I will conclude this document with a statement by Employees Benefit Journal Ann 2004, offering your workforce a full behavioral health program is one of the wisest decisions you can make to increase workplace wellness and
Shinn et al (1984) investigated the effects of coping on psychological strain and "burnout" produced by job stress in human service workers (psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, pastoral counselors, nurses, etc). The researchers found that these stressors predicted job dissatisfaction, behavioral consequences as job performance and turnover in studies of human service workers, psychological symptoms, such as depression and anxiety; and somatic symptoms, such as headaches and various risk factors
It is a multidimensional human condition and constant human experience with the reduced ability to protect oneself (Cousley, Martin, & Hoy, 2014). Bailey (2010) describes vulnerability as an internal conflict which brings feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and lack of control. Vulnerability as defined by Scanlon & Lee (2006) can be broken into three dimensions, physical, social, and psychological aspects. Physical vulnerability can be identified by the potential risk of harm in the environment. Social vulnerability include age, sex, and ethnicity. Psychological vulnerability refers to the feelings associated with the loss of control and can be manifested by stress and anxiety. Vulnerability can be measured by the potential harm and the capacity to overcome it, as stated by Spiers (2000). Only the person experiencing vulnerability can truly understand its implications as it is a unique and individualized experience. (Thorup, Rundqvist, Roberts & Delmar, 2012). Vulnerability can be better understood by examining the external and internal risk factors that increase an individual’s
Authors Thomas and Rutter suggest that employees are aware of their lack of skills and would prefer more training. Both state “…. respondents were aware of their skills shortage and clearly highlighted that training ….on skills were of greatest need” (292).
Topics surrounding mental health in the workplace are still somewhat emerging and taboo for many employers and employees. However, currently in Canada, “one in five adults suffer from a mental health challenge” (Lecture, Sept 30/17.) Unfortunately, there are not many legal formalities surrounding mental health in the workplace that employers are held accountable too. Different workplaces foster different levels of tolerance and support for employee’s needs in terms of protecting their mental health, for example, the option to work from home or take a walk around the block every hour or so.
The workplace in general is an essential part of a person’s life to make a living. People will work over a third of their life to fulfil needs such as bill, groceries, and personal needs. For majority of the population, there isn’t much of a problem when they are at work; their manager treats everyone fairly, pay rate is adequate, and they keep their private and public work separate from each other. The rest of the population unfortunately don’t have this fortune. Pay rates vary among colleagues, managers aren’t effective leaders, and the private life might become public in the workforce. This can lead to stress outside the workplace which can be harmful towards an individual’s health. This problem is an epidemic for some companies and poor
As globalisation increases and markets become very competitive around the globe, companies are starting to focus constantly on innovation, creativity and risk-taking (De Lorenzo 2013, p. 219). This places much more pressure on employees to perform better and work longer hours trying to meet the expectations of employers and business objectives. Employees who suffer from Common Mental Health Disorders (CMHD) will experience more mental pressure as the workplace becomes competitive.
Management determines how much information is made available and in what format it is provided. Management can communicate which skills are valued, how they are acquired and certified, and what rewards will be received. The individual, on the other hand, focuses on and remembers that information which he or she believes is most important to the job, the ability to get into and succeed in training, or achieving other work outcomes. The selective attention determines the accuracy and completeness of the information upon which he or she acts. To the extent that management provides information to facilitate skill seeking in a form that is easily understood by the individual and clearly ties skill-based pay to the job, training, and pay outcomes, the individual will more often turn intentions into actual skill seeking (Murray,
Increasingly, good mental health in the workplace is an issue being raised. Job stresses are being recognized as affecting work performance and also an individual’s over-all well-being. There is a lot of information available about how to promote good mental health in the workplace but perhaps insufficient initiatives actually being used. Providing employees with information promoting good mental health alerts them to the problems but may not achieve the solutions. Within the larger society good physical health is overwhelmingly accepted as the first step to good mental health. Can mental health issues in the workplace be addressed in the same way, by
As the developers of the PEOP model, Baum and Christiansen (Duncan 2011) stated when the terms occupation and performance are combined into one it describes the actions that are meaningful to the individual (Boniface and Seymour 2012). Due to OT being based on a cooperative approach towards care, the OT’s provide the individual with sets of skills which allow individuals to reconnect with society. A core assumption within the society is that an individual cannot be truly well if they are unable to participate fully in their own lives. However, the PEOP model expresses that there are many factors influencing occupational performance (OP).
In the U.S. close to 18.8 million workers report incidence of work related depressive conditions in a single year (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Living with mental illness is not only making the effort to manage it personally, but also finding possible ways to deal with it effectively on how it can affect individuals in the workplace. Many do not find support in the workplace; as a result of this, stopping work will be an option due to the impact of stigma. When this fact is coupled with the fact that most workers spend 60% of their waking hours at work, the gravity of the situation is made apparent. Moreover, there is also the aspect of reduced or loss of productivity.
Improving job satisfaction and productivity is an issue which is imperative among all employees and workplaces. There are various issues contributing to the decrease of job satisfaction including conflict, issues with pay, stress and workplace training. Low productivity rates and unsatisfied employees increase the risk for absenteeism and employee turnover. Occupational stress can often occur in the workplace, leading to an increased rate of ab...
The difference between the skills needed on the job and those possessed by applicants, sometimes called the skills-gap, is of real concern to human resource managers and business owners looking to hire competent employees. While employers would prefer to hire people who are trained and ready to go to work, they are usually willing to provide the specialized, job-specific training necessary for those lacking such skills. Most discussions concerning today’s workforce eventually turn to employability skills. Finding workers who have employability or job readiness skills that help them fit into and remain in the work environment is a real problem. Employers need reliable, responsible workers who can solve problems and who have the social skills and attitudes to work together with other workers. Creativity, once a trait avoided by employers who used a cookie cutter system, is now prized among employers who are trying to create the empowered, high performance workforce needed for competitiveness in today’s marketplace. Employees with these skills are in demand and are considered valuable human capital assets to companies. Employability skills are those basic skills necessary for getting, keeping, and doing well on a job. These are the skills, attitudes and actions that enable workers to get along with their fellow workers and supervisors and to make sound, critical decisions. Unlike occupational or technical skills, employability skills are generic in nature rather than job specific and cut across all industry types, business sizes, and job levels from the entry-level worker to the senior-most position. Job readiness skills are clustered into three skill sets: basic academic skills, higher order thinking skills, personal qualities Employability skills are those basic skills necessary for getting, keeping, and doing well on a job. Employability skills are teachable skills.
People in the type A group tend to be more aggressive in pursuing their goals, noticeably impatient, and very time urgent. They always feel the need to double up their effort and speed to achieve their goals. On the other hand, is the type B personalities who are very cautious, patient, and good at working on long term goals even if the results looks bleak at the first instance. These two different traits react to stressful work demands differently. While Type As tend to be very good at meeting deadlines, they do not react well when they feel being slowed by other team members. In other words, generally they do not make good team players. The Type B might be a slower and takes so much times to achieve certain goals but he/she can fit very well with others and tends to make them better by the virtue of his/her patience. Using the person-job fit model, individuals with no patience for failure or people dragging them can be put in jobs with less or no human interface. Work related stress can be best handled by an individual with patience and decorum (p. 471). The Stress Management Framework used by most organizations aims the secondary intervention on the individual and how he/she reacts to the situation. Not all stressors or strains can be eliminated especially if the nature of the work demands it. Instead, employers redirect efforts to make the individual employees strong enough to deal with it