Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between

job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. A variety of factors contribute to workplace stress such as negative workload, isolation, extensive hours worked, toxic work environments, lack of autonomy, difficult relationships among coworkers and management, management bullying, harassment and lack of opportunities or motivation to advancement in ones skill level. Some stress is a normal part of the workplace and is necessary to bring out the best in you. It can stimulate creativity and productivity. "No one reaches peak performance without being stressed, whether an athlete, an office worker or a manager". The natural pattern of human behavior is to experience a stress-causing event or situation, react to it with increased tension and then return to a normal, relaxed state. The problem occurs when stress is so overwhelming or constant that this pattern is broken. Hence, excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and reduce your physical and emotional health. Finding ways to manage workplace stress is not about making huge changes to every aspect of your work life or rethinking career ambitions. Rather, stress management requires focus on the one thing thats always within your control: you. There have been large numbers of surveys undertaken by reputed survey companies, on stress. The findings, all point out that stress with every passing year is only increasing. With increasing expectations by the bosses and family members alike, every breadwinner is hit by stress at workplace. More recently, the 2008 annual "Attitudes In The American Workplace VI" Gallup Poll sponsored by the Marlin Company found that: 80% of workers feel stress on the job, Nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42% say their coworkers need such help;

24% of respondents had felt like striking a coworker in the past year, but didn't; 50% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress, 20% are concerned about an individual at work; they fear could become violent, 38% had experienced some sort of threat or verbal intimidation in the past year.

Despite promising signs of economic recovery, many employees feel undervalued and stressed out at work and many are dissatisfied with aspects of their job, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association (APA). Conducted online on behalf of the APA by Harris Interactive between January 31 and February 8, 2011, the survey found that 36 percent of workers reported experiencing work stress regularly and almost 49 percent said low salary had a significant impact on their stress level at work. Money may be on workers minds, but that isnt the only reason the workforce is unhappy about. Employees also cited lack of opportunities for growth and advancement (43 percent), heavy workload (43 percent), unrealistic job expectations (40 percent) and long hours (39 percent) as significant sources of stress. Three out of every four American workers describe their work as stressful. And the problem is not limited to these shores. In fact, the United Nations International Labor Organization has defined occupational stress as a global epidemic.

Job Stress and Women The kenexa research institute released a global survey of almost 30,000 workers, which showed that females suffered more workplace stress than their male counterparts. Women may suffer from mental and physical harassment at workplaces, apart from the

common job stress. Sexual harassment in workplace has been a major source of worry for women, since long. Women may suffer from tremendous stress such as `hostile work environment harassment, which is defined in legal terms as `offensive or intimidating behavior in the workplace. This can consist of unwelcome verbal or physical conduct. These can be a constant source of tension for women in job sectors. Also, subtle discriminations at workplaces, family pressure and societal demands add to these stress factors. Statistics show that women in middle and upper management had 6% higher stress levels than men in the same position.

Symptoms The signs of job stress vary from person to person, depending on the particular situation, how long the individual has been subjected to the stressors, and the intensity of the stress itself. Typical symptoms of job stress can be: Insomnia Loss of mental concentration Anxiety Absenteeism Depression Extreme anger and frustration Family conflict Physical illnesses such as heart disease, migraine and headaches.

CAUSES It is very important to identify the common causes of stress so that measures can be taken to resolve the same. However, managing workplace stress is a very difficult process and theories like stress management have gained importance. The most common reasons identified as a

result of organizational stress are explained below: Downsizing -Companies are constantly downsizing and adapting to keep up with competition. This means less job security and therefore more stress. Redundancies- Many people are being made redundant in this current climate, which not only puts pressure on those who go but also on those who stay. I was personally involved in redundancy in my last company and I saw how much extra pressure the board was placing on the remaining staff: same work, half the amount of people. I see this across the board with companies. What does this equal? Yes, more stress, an employee was quoted saying. Increased competition -Although competition is not a bad thing; being in constant competition with colleagues and customers with ratings, reviews and approvals are tiring. Job Insecurity-Organized workplaces are going through metamorphic changes under intense economic transformations and consequent pressures. Reorganizations, takeovers, mergers, downsizing and other changes have become major stressors for employees, as companies try to live up to the competition to survive. These reformations have put demand on everyone, from a CEO to a mere executive. High Demand for Performance-Unrealistic expectations, especially in the time of corporate reorganizations, which, sometimes, puts unhealthy and unreasonable pressures on the employee, can be a tremendous source of stress and suffering. Increased workload, extremely long work hours and intense pressure to perform at peak levels all the time for the same pay, can actually leave an employees physically and emotionally drained. Excessive travel and too much time away from family also contribute to an employee`s stressors. Technology-The expansion of technologycomputers, pagers, cell phones, fax machines and the Internethas

resulted in heightened expectations for productivity, speed and efficiency, increasing pressure on the individual worker to constantly operate at peak performance levels. Workers working with heavy machinery are under constant stress to remain alert. In this case both the worker and their family members live under constant mental stress. There is also the constant pressure to keep up with technological breakthroughs and improvisations, forcing employees to learn new software all the times. Workplace Culture- Adjusting to the workplace culture, whether in a new company or not, can be intensely stressful. Making oneself adapt to the various aspects of workplace culture such as communication patterns, hierarchy, dress code if any, workspace and most importantly working and behavioral patterns of the boss as well as the co-workers, can be a lesson of life. Maladjustment to workplace cultures may lead to subtle conflicts with colleagues or even with superiors. In many cases office politics or gossips can be major stress inducers. Personal or Family Problems-Employees going through personal or family problems tend to carry their worries and anxieties to the workplace. When one is in a depressed mood, his unfocused attention or lack of motivation affects his ability to Sample size- 40 carry out job responsibilities. employees Levels covered- L11-12 L1212 and, L1316. Sex ratio- 1: 1

SURVEY
To understand what stress in the workplace actually means and to have a clear-cut understanding of the concept, we have conducted a survey within the organization. Various findings have been studied and results put forth.

Following are the causes that came forward after the questionnaire was analyzed for all the respondents: Increased work pressure Extra working hours-overtime Undesirable behavior by the peers No recognition for a job well done Laid back attitude of the seniors Ambiguity in the job description Politics that targets the weaker employees High expectations from the employees Six working days in a week makes it difficult for the employees to strike a balance between work and personal life Japanese culture which involves-open seating area for all and daily morning meetings to discuss the progress of the employees are also a source of major stress among the employees

Various strategies adopted by the individuals to cope up with the stress that often overpowers them are as follows: Time management- employees have begun to prioritize work in order to avoid stress. Knowing what exactly is to be done, finishes have your job. Delegation of responsibility- it becomes mandatory in every organization for the employees to delegate work given to them. This by no means states that a senior pass on the responsibility that is in his plates, to the subordinates. This merely proposes that an individual should not keep all the work by himself

to wind up. Meditation- employees often resort to activities like meditation and yoga to keep off the stress. These activities rejuvenate not only the mind of an individual but also the soul. Short breaks- employees to avoid stress take small breaks between works to avoid the pressure. This helps them to resume work with full attention and zeal. Recreation- playing games on mobiles and desktops, listening to music while working, logging on to social networking sites these days have become stress busters for individuals. No overtime- few employees have gone to the extent of saying no t any overtime that the company asks for. Unless it really is a pressing situation, the employees decline the work. Efforts by the organization to help the employees overcome stress are as follows: Team work- the organization has been putting emphasis on teamwork and has been constantly explaining employees that working in a team harmoniously reduce stress and pressure to a great extent. Trainings- often stress arises due to the inability of an employee to work using a particular software or a program. The company to train the employees in areas necessary has initiated customized training programs. Cafeterias- the company has also provided cafeterias and other sitting areas where an employee can spend a few moments of relaxation. Approachability- the open seating area which to a lot of people means stress, it encourages easily flow of communication between individuals. Every employee is within the reach of the other and doubts can be resolved instantly. Wellness programs- Maruti also offers programs like yoga for employees after office, to relieve them of the tension that drives them to various problems both personally and officially.

Thus, based on the above analysis we can see and understand that both the individuals and the organization is taking various measures to fight stress that has in a way become an integral part of our day to day lives. The survey also projects how one factor is more dominant in contributing to stress at workplace than the other. Therefore, few recommendations that have been suggested to overcome workplace stress are: 1. Recognize warning signs of excessive stress at work When you feel overwhelmed at work, you lose confidence and may become irritable or withdrawn. This can make you less productive and less effective in your job, and make the work seem less rewarding. If you ignore the warning signs of work stress, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems. Common causes of excessive workplace stress 1. Fear of being laid off 2. More overtime due to staff cutbacks 3. Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction 4. Pressure to work at optimum levels all the time. 2. Reduce job stress by taking care of yourself

When your own needs are taken care of, youre stronger and more resilient to stress. The better you feel, the better equipped youll be to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed. Even small activities can lift ones mood up, such as, Taking breaks to exercise Getting enough sleep Healthy food diet etc.

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Reduce job stress by prioritizing and organizing

Ability to maintain a sense of self-control in stressful situations will often be well received by coworkers, managers, and subordinates alike, which can lead to better relationships at work.

Create a balanced schedule. Dont over-commit yourself Try to leave earlier in the morning Plan regular breaks. Prioritize tasks. Break projects into small steps. Delegate responsibility. Be willing to compromise.

4. Reduce job stress by improving emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage and use your emotions in positive and constructive ways. When it comes to satisfaction and success at work, emotional intelligence matters just as much as intellectual ability. Emotional intelligence is about communicating with others in ways that draw people to you, overcome differences, repair wounded feelings, and defuse tension and stress. 5. Reduce job stress by self-improvement
Resist perfectionism. No project, situation, or

decision is ever perfect, so trying to attain perfection on everything will simply add unnecessary stress to your day. When you set unrealistic goals for yourself or try to do too much, youre setting yourself up to fall short. Aim to do your best, no one can ask for more than that. Flip your negative thinking. If you see the downside of every situation and interaction, youll find yourself drained of energy and motivation. Try to think positively about your work, avoid negative-thinking co-workers, and pat yourself on the back about small accomplishments, even if no one else does.