PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS, STRESS AND HEALTH AND THE WORLD OF WORK

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PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS, STRESS AND HEALTH AND THE
WORLD OF WORK

• Presented By
• Matthew M Ncube
• ILO Specialist Working Conditions and Environment
• Public Service Employee Health Wellness Indaba
  V
• 9th-12- October 2005

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SCOPE OF PRESENTATION

• Background, Introduction and Objectives,
• Definition of Stress,
• ILO Safework Infocus Programme on Working
  Conditions and Environment,
• Stress in the World of Work,
• Proactive Interventions Against Stress,
• Prevention of Stress,
• Recommendations,
• Conclusion

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Objectives, Background, and Introduction

• To highlight the adverse impact of stress in the
  world of work,
• To motivate for the development and
  implementation of proactive strategic responses
  against psychosocial factors in the world of
  work,
• To provide information on the ILO response to
  HIV/AIDS in the World of Work in the context of
  psychosocial factors.

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MOTIVATIORS

• IF WE ALWAYS DO WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE WE WILL
  GET WHAT WE ALWAYS HAVE NOTHING NO PROGRESS AT
  ALL,
• WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE PLATEAU OF
  SATURATION THROUGH INNOVATION FOR OUR SURVIVAL
  AND FUTURE
• WE SPEND OUR TIME PREPARING TO LIVE AND WHEN ARE
  WE GOING TO LIVE

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DEFINITION OF STRESS

• A force which deforms bodies,
• Bodys general plan for adapting to all exerted
  influences , changes, demands and strains,
• Plan comes into action once the body is exposed
  to the strain factors that range from violence,
  exposure to hazards at work,
• Stress factors include physical, mental and
  psychosocial elements,
• Stress is response of the body to strenuous
  factors, influences and demands.

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Definition of Stress

• Stress affects the wear and tear of the body,
• Background stress is desirable as a source of
  motivation,
• Stress fuels the bodys activity,
• The response of the body to stress depends on a
  number of factors of the individual,
• Adverse effects are exerted when the body is
  subjected to excessive levels of stress.

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ILO SAFEWORK INFOCUS PROGRAMME
WORLD OF WORK
GOVERNMENT
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
EMPLOYERS ORGANIZATIONS
WORKERS 0RGANIZATIONS
COMMUNITY
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ILO Safework Infocus Programme on OSH

• ILO Conventions on Safety and Health,
• Hazard Profiling,
• Health Risk Assessments,
• Proactive Operational Programmes for Occupational
  Safety and Health,
• Psychosocial Factors in the World of Work,
• Action at National and Enterprise Levels.

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ILO Safework Infocus Programme on OSH

• Prevent occupational non-disabling and disabling
  injuries,
• Prevent occupational illnesses and diseases,
• Prevent downgrading factors on the economy or
  business processes,
• Responsible care concept regarding community
  responsibilities.

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HAZARD PROFILING AND HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
HAZARDS Chemicals, Physical, Engineering, Biologi
cal, Ergonomics, Psychosocial
HEALTH EFFECTS?
What are the Hazards? Exposure
Characteristics? Acute and Chronic
Effects? Evaluation of Hazards? Prevention and
Protection?
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PROACTIVE OSH PROGRAMMES

• Occupational Safety,
• Occupational Health Services,
• Occupational Hygiene Services,
• Occupational Safety and Health Promotion,
• Occupational Safety and Health Training,
• Integrated proactive intervention approach.

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Stress in the World of Work

• Management attributes and techniques,
• Prevailing psychosocial conditions,
• Person and environment fit,
• Social, Emotional and Physiological Approach,
• Social Support,
• Sexual harassment,
• Violence in the World of Work,
• Unemployment and Insecurity.

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Stress in the World of Work

• MANAGERIAL STYLE,
• ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE,
• ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE AND CULTURE,
• PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND COMPENSATION,
• STAFFING ISSUES,
• ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION,

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STRESS IN THE WORLD OF WORK

• CAREER STAGES,
• SELF ESTEEM
• GENDER, JOB STRESS AND ILNESS,
• ETHNICITY,
• ERGONOMICS
• SHIFT WORK.

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STRESS IN THE WORLD OF WORK
HAZARDS
SELF ESTEEM
ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALISATION
SOCIAL
STAFFING ISSUES
GENDER
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
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1. Management Attributes and Techniques

• Non defined operational policies and procedures,
• Poor interactive synergies and feedback,
• Lack of social dialogue,
• Lack of defined job processes,
• Autocratic and disregard for employees,
• Poor involvement of employees.

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2. Prevailing Psychosocial Conditions ILO
Resolution (1975)

• Work should respect workers lives and health,
• Leave them time for rest and leisure,
• Provide opportunities to serve society,
• Provide for development of personal capacities
  for self-fulfilment,
• Workplace should provide for social support and
  recognition,
• We need to relate our work to social life.

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3. SOCIAL SUPPORT

• Lack of support from peers,
• Lack of support from social groups,
• Lack of support from immediate family,
• Lack of support in the workplace,
• Interactive variables that include psychosocial
  psychobiological and individual psychological
  stress reaction provoke final outcome of physical
  illness.

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4. SEXUAL HARASSMENT

• Applies to both female and male employees,
• Supervisor and subordinate interrelationships,
• Sexual remarks and comments,
• Sexual favours for rewards,
• Posterity packages.
• Both verbal and physical specifically directed.
• It is unwelcome, undesirable and variable.

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5. VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD OF WORK

• Verbal abuse,
• Abusive language,
• Physical violence,
• Derogatory language,
• Demographic attributes also feature with
  individual characteristics,
• Control at organization level has been very poor.

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6. INSECURITY

• Security of employment uncertain,
• National economic performance,
• Retrenchments,
• Social Protection,
• Employment opportunities,

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7. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

• Ambiguous organizational structure,
• Poor communication characterized by rumor
  mongering,
• Lack of clearly defined operational policies and
  procedures,
• Lack of clearly defined management systems,
• Lack of organizational character,
• Workers feel insecure with little information.

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8. ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE AND CULTURE

• Organization lacks motivation,
• Workers do not belong and do not have identity,
• Every one does whatever they fee like because the
  system does not care,
• Executives and management operate in cocooned
  stratified levels,
• What is our mission and vision and is it known?

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9. ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION

• Does the organization provide for opportunities
  for social staff interaction?
• Do we recognize the important role of promoting
  employee interaction?
• Promoting accommodation of all employees through
  sharing of problems and challenges,
• TEAM building together everyone achieves more.

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10. PERFOMANCE MEASURES AND COMPENSATION

• No clearly defined corporate functional
  objectives,
• Employees do not know how they fit into the
  organizations goals and objectives,
• Individual functional objectives not set and
  fully explained to all employees,
• Measures of performance are not defined,
• Appraisals are not comprehensive,
• Merit and reward system is not well defined.

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11. STAFFING ISSUES

• Inadequate staffing levels,
• Lack of clear organ gram with properly assigned
  functional staffing levels,
• Overloading employees with unrealistic targets
  and goals,
• Staff and skills development,
• Proper job assignment,
• Lack of a comprehensive promotional system.

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12. CAREER STAGES

• No clearly defined career development policy,
• Succession planning and preparedness,
• Promotion system,
• Access to equal opportunities,
• Recognition and identification of high flyers,
• Effective recruitment system.

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13. SELF ESTEEM

• Favourability individuals typical of self
  evaluation,
• Low esteem highly susceptible to environmental
  stressors,
• Highly esteemed cope better with stresses,
• Self esteem is actually self evaluation and
  perception,
• Measure of self confidence very essential

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14. GENDER, JOB STRESS AND ILLNESS

• Effects of stress on women still need further
  comprehensive research,
• Coronary heart disease prevalence has been found
  to be high among men,
• Women need to cope with demands of pregnancy,
• Women therefore are highly susceptible than men
  however further investigations are needed
  regarding job placement.

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15. ETHNICITY

• Cross cultural aspects,
• Aspects of poverty, economic marginality,
  inadequate housing, unemployment, crime and
  discrimination,
• Not usually and traditionally identified,
• Prejudice and discrimination are the notable
  stressors,
• Influences assignment with regard to allocation
  of favourable conditions.

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16. SHIFT WORK

• Circadian rhythms,
• Immune system,
• Adaptation considerations,
• Health environment,
• Recuperation period,
• Proper management of shift work,
• Evaluation of effects of shift work.

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17. ERGONOMICS

• Design of work stations,
• Design and specification of jobs,
• Standard job procedures,
• Assignment of job tasks,
• Synchronization of operational procedures,
• Review of operational procedures,
• Introduction of new technology or innovations.

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IMPACT OF STRESS

• Raised heart beat,
• High blood pressure,
• Increased muscle tension,
• Electrodermal (sweat gland activity),
• Disturbance of cardiac output,
• Disturbed breathing patterns,
• Modifications in gastro intestinal activity,
• Disturbed immune functional system.

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IMPACT OF STRESS

• Disturbed hormonal responses of the
  cathecolamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline and
  cortisol),
• Effects on blood clotting,
• Release of reserve energy from adipose tissue,
• Blood pressure during working time than leisure
  time.

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IMPACT OF STRESS

• Increased alcohol and substance abuse,
• Reckless and irresponsible sexual behaviour,
• High susceptibility to illnesses,
• Compromised immune system,
• Burn out that leads to deprived and compromised
  illhealth,
• High risk to occupational accidents,
• Low productivity.

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BURN OUT!! BURN OUT!!!
BODY HAS EXCEEDED CAPACITY TO RESIST
HIGH BODY EXHAUSTION
REDUCED IMMUNE SYSTEM
ILL HEALTH EFFECTS
HIGH RISK SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
MOBILE TIME BOMB
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IMPACT OF STRESS

• Body has a limited capacity to deal with stress,
• Break point,
• Recuperation,
• Fair wear and tear of the body,
• High risk behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS
  responsible and proactive behaviour.

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IMPACT OF STRESS

• Gastro intestinal effect,
• Irregular eating habits,
• Poor nutrition,
• Poor state of wellness,
• Disturbed eating patterns and habits.

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PROACTIVE INTERVENTIONS

• Identify causes of stress,
• Identify sources of stress,
• Develop and implement effective proactive
  interventions,
• Review policies of corporate organizations,
• Redesign jobs,

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PROACTIVE INTERVENTIONS

• Improve communication system,
• Review of personnel policies,
• Cascade decision making process to lower levels,
• Conduct periodic stress audits,
• Establish a comprehensive monitoring system for
  stress in the world of work through stress audits
  as a means of regular monitoring.

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PROACTIVE INTERVENTIONS

• Monitoring system for stress focusing on the
  following
• Job content,
• Work scheduling,
• Physical working conditions,
• Employment terms and expected outputs,
• Relationships to work,
• Communication systems and reporting protocol.

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SECONDARY PREVENTION OF STRESS IN THE WORLD OF
WORK

• Develop and implement stress management courses
  to enhance recognition of stress,
• Include simple relaxation techniques,
• Change of life style,
• Time management,
• Development of personal stress management
  techniques,
• Return to work preparation of employee programme
  very essential.

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ILO RESPONSE TO HIV/AIDS

• ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS in World of
  Work,
• Ten Key principles
• Recognition of HIV/AIDS as a Workplace Issue,
• Non-discrimination,
• Gender equality,
• Healthy work environment,
• Social dialogue,
• Screening for purposes of exclusion from work,
• Confidentiality,

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ILO CODE OF PRACTICE ON HIV/AIDS

• Continuation of employment relationships,
• Prevention and proactive initiatives,
• Care and support.
• Programme implementation strategies and
  operational activities,
• Comprehensively defined measures of performance?

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• We need to develop and implement effective
  measures to monitor stress in the world of work,
• We need to recognize the impact of stress on
  HIV/AIDS initiatives,
• We need to develop proactive effective management
  systems for stress in the world of work,
• We need to address the hazards of stress in the
  world of work through proactive interventions.

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THE WAY FORWARD

• HIV/AIDS poses the single greatest challenge to
  the survival of humanity,
• We need to make a difference in each and every
  day that we have as an opportunity,
• The proactive approach is not a luxury but a
  must,
• The role of the Public Service in driving
  national economic development needs to be
  acknowledged and provide leadership.

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CONCLUSION

• Each and every one of us need to acknowledge that
  we are a potential resource of opportunity for
  change.
• What can we contribute to the KHOMANANI National
  Initiative?
• Employees make an important contribution to
  national economic development in our member
  states.

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REFERENCES

• ILO Encyclopaedia on Occupatioanl Safety and
  Health,
• Integrated Occupational Occupational Safety and
  Health Management ISSA Publication 154 of 2003
  Matthew M Ncube and Edwin Kaseke.
• www.issa.org
• www.ilo.org (website)