Management Options

Options for the management of stress at work can be preventative or remedial. Preventative strategies are designed to minimise the likelihood of a staff member becoming seriously affected by stress at work. Remedial strategies are used to restrict the impact once symptoms of stress become evident. Managers should also be aware that co-workers may also be affected.

Early signs

A number of early warning signs can signal that a staff member is becoming 'stressed'. They include changes in behaviour or mood. A staff member may become irritable or find it difficult to make decisions. They may start taking more time off work, make more mistakes, have problems with co-workers or reduce their productivity. A worker's health may deteriorate or increased smoking or use of drugs of dependence (including alcohol) may become evident.

Manager's role

Most managers are aware that their role has always been to maximise the efforts of their staff towards achieving their organisation's goals. Many years ago, traditional management practices focussed upon obtaining high productivity through fear or threats. Later, rewards were added to this approach and high output was encouraged through bonus incentives. However quality of output may have suffered in many cases.

Modern management approaches encourage the development of high morale, team spirit and other positive factors at the workplace to enhance the wellbeing of staff. The expected outcome is high productivity, loyalty, a team approach to problem solving, etc. These factors should lead to a contended workforce where productivity and work quality are consistently high, absenteeism is low, punctuality is good and staff do not suffer from stress at work. This approach suggests that the work environment of staff members should be modified to take into account the following factors:

• Morale in a work group should be high. High levels of morale can be maintained by ensuring that the efforts of staff members are acknowledged periodically. Staff should be praised for good work, perhaps a quarterly award system that has a symbolic trophy, as well as something tangible (e.g. movie passes). This could be in the form of an agenda item at branch meetings. An individual or work group may be singled out for particular effort (naturally this is more effective if the same individual or group isn't a consistent winner of this award).

• Managers should provide support for staff who may be experiencing work-related or personal difficulties. This support is usually repaid many times over by the staff member concerned. This is not the only benefit, other staff members often find out about these things and the benefits to the supportive manager are multiplied.

• Workload levels can be one of the most contentious issues in the relationship between manager and staff member. What is a high workload for one staff member may be taken in their stride by another. This issue is further complicated by the diverse nature of most work in the University. For example, many factors affect the teaching load of an academic, including the complexity of the material, number of students taught, assessment criteria, etc. So the number of contact hours is often not a very clear indication of the actual work involved.
  
  If a staff member is experiencing problems (work-related or personal) then their ability to cope with their normal workload may diminish. Most workers are able to cope with the increased workloads that occur seasonally (eg. exams, enrolments). A supportive manager will acknowledge and reward these efforts. Sometimes staff are exposed to high and unrelenting workloads over an extended period of time. The short-term gains to productivity are wiped out when morale falls or staff 'burn out'. Staff with low morale may reduce their productivity, increase tardiness and absenteeism, and are significantly more vulnerable to occupational stress.
  
  The lesson for managers is to pay close attention to how their staff are coping with their workloads. The worker who takes on too much, perhaps because of low assertiveness, can be as problemmatic as one who seems to spend a lot of time on attending to personal matters yet complains of being overworked. Nothing is set in stone, including work responsibilities. Workloads can vary dramatically over even a short period of time. There should be regular reviews of workloads and if there are inequities, they should be remedied promptly.

• Conflict between staff can reduce overall productivity. In addition to those involved, other colleagues may become embroiled in or distracted by disputes between staff members. In most cases a manager can assist in the resolution. Effective outcomes depend upon how fairly they intervene. Both sides of the situation should be considered with equanimity. A power differential may be present when an individual is in conflict with their supervisor. The manager should ensure that bullying has not taken place, perhaps by talking to other staff members.
  
  Sometimes a manager may have a conflict of interest or will know that the feelings between the antagonists are too deep or complex for them to intervene successfully. Under these circumstances they may consider bringing in an independent mediator. The Manager of the OH&S Unit can provide advice on how best to obtain this assistance.

• Organisational change, if not managed well, can increase levels of anxiety among staff. This may lead to workers compensation stress claims. Secrecy or lack of transparency can feed a rumour mill. Staff uncertainty regarding their future (following change) can be reduced if managers consult and ensure good communication with workers. Fears about job security often accompany changes at work. Managers should be mindful of this and provided effective support for staff during throughout the change process.

• Other factors that can cause or contribute to stress are bullying and sexual harassment. Managers should facilitate appropriate assistance for staff who are being bullied or sexually harassed.

Managers should involve staff and Health & Safety representatives prior to addressing work stress issues. Once changes have been implemented they should be monitored to ensure they are effective. Major changes in organisational structure, processes or systems should be reviewed to ensure no incress in work stress levels has occurred. Managers can set a good example regarding the need to avoid work stress.

Back to stress management page