Stress Update
5 Discussion
The General Discourse about Stress
The discourse about work-stress (relating to the Demand-Control-Support, the Effort-Reward Imbalance and the Job Demands Resources models of work stress) is now so much part of common speech among a group in this area that this story to be more widely told and spread, with caveats added to reflect recent NZ research.
This story appeals to common sense and our sense of fair play and concern for other people. It does not appeal to those looking for excuses to opt out – because of the findings like those that indicate:
- That, “in spite of it all”, many people find their work rewarding and fulfilling
- that healthy organisations achieve more
- that the quality of leadership is vital in helping employees face and ride over the inevitable difficulties they encounter
This story is not the whole story about what happens (or does not) at work, but it is not being told very much. A more balanced discourse could help provide a more mature appreciation of the place and nature of healthy work and its effects on health generally.
This means it is a Public Health issue.
The Department is a potential key player in making this discourse more widely known.
Corporate Culture
At least one very well known corporation says it is very conscious of mental well-being at work and is attempting to address the issue with a suite of integrated tools – and regards it as affecting productivity.
Australian Tax Office
ATO is mounting a major programme – “Mind the mind” – with training for 6000 managers.
Mental Health First Aid
The new initiative described in this report merits careful examination. Some New Zealand trainers have been trained but so far no formal adoption or implementation has taken place by a New Zealand NGO. The Mental Health Foundation report that the Ministry of Health asked them to review the programme for use in New Zealand – and that they felt that modifications to the programme are needed for use here.
Internal Application
We would like to draw the attention of the Leadership team to several themes that emerge from this conference - and our previous understanding of matters to do with workplace stress:
It’s not the work experiences but the workplace.
This consistent theme has been emerging for several years.
Employees accept front line experiences as part of the deal, but find organisational experiences to do with management style and team cohesion more difficult to cope with.
Recent research shows that this applies ALSO to executives.
This is important given that . .
The impact of operational stressors is mediated by
- individual morale (plays a critical role)
- levels of supportive leadership
- the overall quality of the work team climate
- individual employee susceptibility.