Australia may be experiencing an increase in mental stress and bullying at work

Sunday, 31 July 2011 16:00

News - Workplace Stress

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Australian federal work health and safety regulator Comcare has recently reported that mental stress claims at work have increased 54 percent since 2006. Workplace stress can negatively affect productivity, employee loyalty and retention.

Workplace stress may lead to fatigue that can weaken the body and mind, making illness and disease more likely and negatively impacting employee performance. Job stress can contribute to symptoms like headaches, mood and sleep disturbances, or possibly worsen existing medical conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Australian report revealed that bullying and harassment were major causes of stress along with the pressure of the work itself. While companies may have bullying policies, they can be insufficient.

"In many cases, the policies can be subverted so that...sometimes people will turn a blind eye to it and sometimes people will block workers' attempts to bring it to the attention of senior staff," said Helen McGrath, a Deakin University psychologist.

McGrath noted that Australian authorities have increased efforts to reduce bullying by educating workers on their rights. Occupational health and safety consultant Kevin Jones stated that some complaints, when investigated, turn out to be more of a misunderstanding or isolated incident rather than regular bullying.