The Programme of Occupational Health by the World Health Organization (WHO) published a series of occupational health documents entitled Protecting Workers’ Health. This is the result of the implementation effort of the Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All. Both the WHO and the International Labor Organization (ILO) recognize work stress as a major global challenge because it is a known deterrent to workers’ optimal performance as it affects workers’ health. Work stress also affects the overall healthiness of business organizations.
Stress is a result of the imbalance or mismatch between the demands and pressures on a person versus the person’s available capabilities in the form of knowledge and skills. It is the tipping point when someone realizes he is short of human powers to meet a demand. Stress almost always rests in the region of the mind even before it translates to any other manifestation such as physical proof of stress.
Stress is the challenge on a worker’s ability to cope with work. Often, it occurs when the pressures of work exceed the worker’s ability to cope. There are times, too, when a worker’s knowledge and abilities are not appropriately utilized, and this also results in work stress.
Workers who are stressed are apt to be unhealthy, uninspired to work, poorly motivated to succeed, less productive in their tasks, and less alert for the sake of safety at work. The organizations to which they belong become less successful in a competitive market.
Via HELPGUIDE
