The International labour Organisation (IlO) celebrates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28 to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health and on the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities worldwide. The theme of the day for 2016 is Workplace Stress: A collective challenge.
For the IlO, stress is the harmful physical and emotional response caused by an imbalance between the perceived demands and the perceived resources and abilities of individuals to cope with those demands. Work-related stress is determined by work organization, work design and labour relations and occurs when the demands of the job do not match or exceed the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker, or when the knowledge or abilities of an individual worker or group to cope are not matched with the expectations of the organizational culture of an enterprise. The workplace factors that can cause stress are called psychosocial hazards.
A negative interaction between occupational conditions and human factors may lead to emotional disturbances and behavioural problems. On the contrary, when working conditions and human factors are in balance, work creates a feeling of mastery and self-confidence; increases motivation, working capacity and satisfaction; and improves health. The core values reflected in IlO standards on occupational safety and health are expressed in three main principles: (i) work should take place in a safe and healthy working environment; (ii) conditions of work should be consistent with workers’ wellbeing and human dignity; and (iii) work should offer real possibilities for personal achievement, self-fulfilment and service to society.
In addition to the IlO a number of international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have been active in the prevention and management of psychosocial hazards and the promotion of mental health at work through research and advocacy, including the development and implementation of specific initiatives.
The WHO has contributed to the prevention of psychosocial risks through the publication of research, guidelines, tools and other resources. The work of the WHO on occupational health is governed by the Global Plan of Action on Workers’ Health 2008-2017. The WHO has also developed relevant guidance on how to address psychosocial risks and work related stress through a number of publications.
Employers should be aware of the negative effects of the psychosocial hazards that may affect workers as a result of overwork and lack of control over their tasks, with the consequences of work-related stress and related coping behaviours and health outcomes. Work related stress is often caused by lack of support within the organisation and also when there is little or no help and support from higher officers and colleagues. Stress at work interferes with the ability to perform the job due to depression, social withdrawal, loss of interest in the work etc.
The person is more resilient to stress when the needs of the body are taken care of. The better one feels, the better they are prepared to combat job stress. Making employers and workers aware, informed and competent to address these new risks creates a safe and healthy working environment, builds a positive and constructive preventive culture in the organization, protects the health and wellbeing of workers, and increases productivity.
A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels, where Governments, employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment. The Constitution of India provides detailed provisions for the rights of the citizens and also lays down the Directive Principles of State Policy which set an aim to which the activities of the State are to be guided. On the basis of these Directive Principles, the Government is committed to regulate all economic activities for management of safety and health risks at workplaces and to provide measures so as to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for every working man and woman in the nation. Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the protection of life and personal liberty of a person.
Employers have a duty to prevent occupational stress by taking protective measures through the assessment and control of risks at work. Employers should provide a stress-free work environment, recognise where stress is becoming a problem for staff, and take action to reduce stress.
Stress management is the concepts that can be adopt to reduce occupational stress of employees at work place. It is a continuous process that should be monitored frequently by different forecasting techniques. The employers may organise different stress management intervention like workshop and awareness programme to help their employees to reduce stress at workplace. This will provide a stress-free work environment for the workers and increase the productivity of the organisation.
(Dr Praharaj works in Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)