Job strain
Job strain is a form of
Causes of work stress
Eustress causes
Examples of positive causes of stress in the workplace include starting a new job and receiving a raise. Both of these situations improve performance.[2]
Distress causes
On the negative side, one cause of job strain is low salaries.[4] Low pay causes job strain due to living expenses. Housing expenses are extremely high, which makes it difficult for minimum wage workers to afford housing. As the minimum wage increases, the cost of living increases as well.[5]
The second cause of job strain comes from excessive workloads. Being exhausted from overworking is a common stressor in the workplace and can often lead to poor communication between coworkers.[6] A 2019 survey by Cartridge People identified workload as the main cause of occupational stress.[7]
A lack of support from employers and employees may also cause stress. Making decisions and participating is a way of support from employers and employees.[8]
Health effects
When experiencing job strain in the form of distress at work, people are subject to headaches, stomachaches, sleep disturbances, short temper, and difficulty concentrating. Anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and heart disease may occur if stress at work becomes more persistent.
Gender differences
Men and women react differently when exposed to work situations involving stress. A survey was taken by Canadian Community Health in 2012 that showed women experience higher job strain than men. It also showed that women feel they have lower levels of control, yet experience more coworker support, than men.[13] Because women have lower levels of control at work, they experience more mental health risks such as depression and anxiety. Men tend to suffer from physical risks such as heart disease from carrying higher roles at work.
A 2022 study by McKinsey & Company concluded that women are 41% more likely to be subjected to a toxic workplace culture and that their risk of burnout is elevated.[14][15]
A 2021 WHO study concluded that working 55+ hours a week raises the risk of stroke by 35% and the risk of dying from heart conditions by 17%, when compared to a 35-40 hour week.[16]
See also
- Annual leave
- Critique of work
- Effects of overtime
- Karoshi
- Labor rights
- Occupational burnout
- Occupational stress
- Paid time off
- Refusal of work
- Right to rest and leisure
- Wage slavery
- Workload
- Work–life interface
References
- ^ PMID 22981903.
- ^ a b "Types of Stressors (Eustress vs. Distress)". MentalHelp.net. COPYRIGHT © 2019 MENTALHELP.NET. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ISBN 978-3-030-31438-5, retrieved 2024-02-06
- ^ a b "Coping With Stress at Work". American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
- ^ Imbert, Fred. "Cost of living is increasingly out of reach for low-wage workers". CNBC. CNBC LLC. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ Picincu, Andra. "The Effects of a Heavy Workload on Employees". bizfluent. Leaf Group LTD. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "What's Causing UK Workers Stress in 2019". www.cartridgepeople.com. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ "Stress at the Workplace". World Health Organization. WHO. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- S2CID 8477786.
- ^ "Time Poverty Is The Health Issue We're Not Paying Attention To But Should Be". Women's Health. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- PMID 23327240.
- PMID 26041697.
- ^ "Gender differences in the link between psychosocial work exposures and stress". Institute for Work and Health. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ McKinsey, & Company (2022). "Women in the Workplace" (PDF).
- ^ Sull, Donald; Sull, Charles (2023-03-14). "The Toxic Culture Gap Shows Companies Are Failing Women". MIT Sloan Management Review.
- ISSN 0160-4120.