Social Sustainability
Work-Related Stress
Definition
Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge, abilities or resources, and which challenge their ability to cope. Contributing factors include excessive workload, low control, poor support, unclear roles and job insecurity.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Work-Related Stress” is defined and used.
Source imported for editorial provenance.
Overview
How it is used
Employers conduct psychosocial risk assessments and redesign work; regulators in some jurisdictions treat stress as an enforceable hazard; wellbeing programmes and employee assistance support affected staff; social reporting increasingly covers mental health at work.
Why it matters
Stress-related ill health drives absence, turnover and lost productivity, and is among the fastest-growing categories of occupational disease, making prevention central to decent work.