The Function of Human Resource Management in Reducing Occupational Stress

 

The Function of Human Resource Management in Reducing Occupational Stress

Figure 1: Stress at workplace

Today, the world is progressing very rapidly. No wonder people have to run as fast as the world runs. Today's businesses are trying to reach their goals very quickly. On this journey, it is a mandatory phenomenon for the employees of the organizations to devote themselves to their duties. Currently, employees are working hard to achieve the job activities and goals given to them by the organizations. Often, this can be a workload beyond the capacity of employees. People are definitely stressed when there is an imbalance between their personal and work lives. This article discusses the contribution that the HR department can make to mitigate this situation.

What is workplace stress?

Any type of stress is defined by us as an unforeseen and unpredictable bodily and neural response to change. It may occur in a wide variety of circumstances and environments. Pain brought on by our own thoughts is called stress. When applied to the workplace, this is the stress that frequently results from a mismatch between the outcomes that are anticipated of an employee and the outcomes they believe they are capable of achieving. A certain amount of anxiety is inevitable when a firm demands a lot of its employees, as is the case in many high-value and stressful industries. Other elements at play in this situation include ambiguous job titles and work objectives, as well as other forms of bullying and harassment (Hppy, 2023).

Common sources of work stress

Certain factors tend to go hand-in-hand with work-related stress. Some common workplace stressors are:

·         Low salaries

·         Excessive workloads

·         Few opportunities for growth or advancement

·         Work that isn’t engaging or challenging

·         Lack of social support

·         Not having enough control over job-related decisions

·         Conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations

Effects of uncontrolled stress

When you leave for the day and return home, your stress from work doesn't just go away. Persistent stress can have a negative impact on your health.A stressful workplace can aggravate conditions including headaches, nausea, sleep disruptions, irritability, and difficulty focusing. Anxiety, sleeplessness, high blood pressure, and a compromised immune system can be brought on by ongoing stress. Additionally, it can aggravate existing medical conditions like depression, obesity, and heart disease. The issue is made worse by the fact that people who feel severe stress frequently try to cope by overeating, consuming unhealthy foods, smoking, or misusing drugs and alcohol (American Psycological Association, 2014).

 

What can HR department do to reduce workplace stress?

It frequently depends on HR professionals to identify strategies to boost employee morale and reduce workplace stress because they are at the center of a company's effort to recruit and retain top talent. Fortunately, HR can take a variety of actions to help employees feel less stressed, including:

·         Develop a wellness program

·         Allow for flexible hours and/or remote work

·         Provide fitness opportunities

·         Encourage open and honest communication

·         Stress importance of a healthy work/life balance

·         Hold team building exercises

The continual, multifaceted effort to foster an environment and culture that foster mentally healthy employees Knowing the regulations around mental health in the workplace is not enough. To provide staff with the resources they require to keep a better emotional and mental balance between work and life, regular and persistent effort is required (JWU, 2019).

Figure 2: Employee stress management

 

How to craft stress prevention programs and workshops

There isn't a single strategy that always assists all employees in managing their stress. Instead, a multimodal strategy should be taken into account while designing preventative seminars and programs. It will probably be essential to implement both proactive and reactive learning and education programs (Sutton, 2021).

 

Proactive interventions

Put your efforts into encouraging all workers to take good action and minimizing stress (by eliminating risk factors).

Proactive interventions include:

·         Conflict management

·         Employee wellness

·         Job redesign and the organization of work

·         Coping skills

·         Employee fitness programs (for employees with known risk factors)

 

Reactive interventions

Focus on helping employees who need assistance.

Interventions are likely to include:

·         Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

·         Rehabilitation after illness or returning to work

·         Counseling

·         Employee assistance programs

A multimodal approach combines multiple intervention styles and techniques, and can be rolled out across the organization while focusing on the individual (Tetrick , 2015).

 

Conclusion

The strain of work-related stress has been experienced by everyone who has ever had a job. Even if you genuinely enjoy your work, any job may occasionally be difficult. You could feel under pressure in the near future to complete a demanding task or meet a deadline. But if it persists, work stress can become debilitating and detrimental to both physical and mental health. Unfortunately, prolonged stress of this kind is all too prevalent. Tensions that arise at work are sometimes unavoidable. Nevertheless, you can take action to reduce work-related stress.

 

References

American Psycological Association, 2014. American Psycological Association. [Online]
Available at: https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress
[Accessed 29 April 2023].

 

Hppy, 2023. Hppy. [Online]
Available at: https://gethppy.com/company-culture/the-role-of-human-resource-practices-in-reducing-occupational-stress
[Accessed 29 April 2023].

 

JWU, 2019. JWU. [Online]
Available at: https://online.jwu.edu/blog/important-role-hr-plays-reducing-workplace-stress
[Accessed 29 April 2023].

 

Sutton, J., 2021. Positive Psycology. [Online]
Available at: https://positivepsychology.com/workplace-stress-management/#craft
[Accessed 29 April 2023].

 

Tetrick , W., 2015. Workplace stress management interventions and health promotion. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 2(1), p. 583–603.

Figure 1: Stress at workplace

Figure 2: Employee stress management 3